Jo Dwyer first became involved in Gymnastics through her daughters participation in the sport nine years ago. After picking up a keen interest in gymnastics through watching her daughter in competition, Jo became an active committee member at Erewash Valley Gymnastics Club in Derbyshire, East Midlands.

Now the Club Welfare Office, Jo's role is to raise her profile within the Club and to ensure with coaches and volunteers that the welfare of the Gymnasts is always high priority. She is currently working with the team of young coaches to establish a questionnaire for Gymnasts to obtain their views on how they would like to see the Club develop.

As a strong, positive and well-established Club, Erewash Valley began the GymMark process in 2006 and as Welfare Officer, Jo played a lead role in collating information and worked with the coaches and committee to produce the Child protection and Equality policy and to develop a complaints and grievance procedure.

Now in their second year of accreditation, Jo feels Club Mark has helped the club to become more aware of Child Protection Issues and Heath and Safety requirements.

The Club has strengthened its links with the local School Sports Partnership and as a result of the Action Planning process, now has a clear coaching pathway and has expanded to offer more opportunity in the local community opening two new Satellite Clubs in the district.

Overall Jo said "Our coaches work with a positive attitude to coaching and GymMark has given them a better understanding of the welfare issues involved when working with Children. GymMark has also allowed us to create a Welfare and Child Protection section in our Club Development Plan and this has given us a structure for training and supporting Gymnasts, Parents, Coaches and Club Volunteers."