SportNav Volunteering in Sport - Sport Across Staffordshire

What is a volunteer-involving
organisation?
Any organisation that seeks to engage
volunteers who will help it to run smoothly.
This can be anything from a small
community group to a major corporate
sector business. Local sports clubs are
community groups.
What is sport volunteering all about?
Volunteers are the lifeblood of many sports
clubs. So what do most sports clubs and
event organisers say they need most?
Help from Volunteers!
Often, managing your current volunteers
better can make them happier and more
productive. Satisfied volunteers are more
likely to spread good reports of your sport
group by word of mouth. It’s similar to
when you’re at your workplace - if you’re
treated well you tend to work better,
harder and tell people good things
about your workplace.
Creating great surroundings for volunteers
is all about making sure that the whole
sports club is aware of and getting the
most out of its current volunteers. You
need to be ready for any new volunteers
and help them to focus the use of the
time they are prepared give to the club.
Why do sport volunteers
need managing?
Sports volunteers don’t just happen!
They need to be recruited and looked
after just like the players in any sports
club. Managing volunteers leads to better
volunteers through reward and retention
and makes recruitment easier.
What does good sport volunteer
management involve?
A good sport volunteer
manager/coordinator provides:
• Clear volunteering roles within the club.
• An induction for volunteers.
• Expenses for volunteers - and knows
what to pay or not to pay.
• Succession planning for roles within
the club.
• Help with writing a volunteer strategy
or plan.
• Advice on how to raise the profile of
volunteer management within the club
itself - when winning sports matches
and getting more players, or going on
tour at the end of the season might
always seem to be more important.
What help is available?
The following places can give you
support and help you improve your
volunteer management:
Volunteer Centres
Can often give one-to-one support to
those managing volunteers within a local
organisation like your sports club. See
www.volunteering.org.uk/volunteer
developmentagencies/findoutabout
volunteeringinyourarea.htm
Volunteering England
Has a whole raft of information and
support for you (see below) from fact
sheets to the Investing in Volunteers
standard - showing that your organisation
is managing its volunteers in the best way
possible. See www.volunteering.org.uk
Running Sports
Provides workbooks and workshops
on Valuing your Volunteers - which takes
you through the step-by step process
of volunteering within your club.
See www.runningsports.org
Your National Governing Body
Will have volunteering information on
their website, or it is available through
your county, regional or national contacts.
See www.sportengland.org/ngbs
creating
opportunities
to get healthy
10 Sport England