Volunteers – every sports club needs them. However, finding these volunteers and recruiting them for your club can seem daunting at first. Read the below points though, and you may realise it’s easier than it may first appear.
Key Volunteer Recruitment Points to Consider
There are a few key questions that you should always ask yourselves before recruiting volunteers. These are:
- Why do you want to recruit new volunteers?
- What roles do you want people to do?
- Which skills do the roles require?
- How much time will the role require?
- Who will look after the new volunteers?
Why Do People Volunteer?
Most people who volunteer within a sports organisation have a connection with the club. It may be that they are a current or ex member, or that a member of their family is involved. Possibly, it may be that they live within the community that the club is located.
Regardless of the connection your volunteers have with the club, people have different motivations for giving up their time and services. So, it’s worth bearing this in mind when you go about trying to recruit them, some of the most common motivations include:
- To give something back
- To meet new people
- To learn something new
We’re also aware that many young people are becoming involved in volunteering as it’s an excellent way of developing their employability.
Barriers to People Volunteering:
Some people are interested in volunteering at their club, however they may feel that there are barriers preventing them from doing so. We’ve identified three barriers below and how they could be overcome:
- Fear of failure - Ask what about the role worries them? Then consider what you can do to address this.
- Lack of time - Can the role be shared? What is a realistic level of commitment for the role?
- I didn’t know the club needed volunteers - Appoint a Volunteer Coordinator. Look at how the club communicates with its members and the wider public. Do you have a Facebook page? Talk to people and spread the word!
Show Your Volunteer Recruits You Care
It’s a good idea to appoint a Volunteer Coordinator to look after your club volunteers. Volunteer Coordinators are in charge of recruitment and their sole-focus is ensuring your volunteers feel valued, developed and supported through recognition and rewards.
Remember you’re dealing with people, so what works for one person may not work with another, so spend time getting to know the people in your club and make them feel a part of the bigger picture.
Learn more about the Volunteer Coordinator job role here.
Where to Find Sports Club Volunteers
If you do decide to look for volunteers from outside your club and community, then the following locations are a good place to start:
- Schools / Colleges / Universities
- Volunteer centres
- Your Local Authority Sports Development Team
- Local large employers that might have community volunteering programmes
- Volunteering Wales
- Join In
Recruitment check list
- Staff and Volunteers have been selected through a proper recruitment process.
- Safeguarding training has been provided for Staff and Volunteers.
- The Coach is qualified.
