Tag: volunteer Page 3 of 15

TeamKinetic Best Practice: Signposting – Website

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On 19th October 2023

In TeamKinetic Best Practice

The Importance of Website Signposting

For most organisations, their website is the go-to destination for information about what they do, where to find them and who to contact. Therefore, signposting your TeamKinetic site on your organisation’s main website is best practice. Showcasing your current volunteering opportunities inspires involvement with your organisation. Continuity between your website and TeamKinetic site helps to create a more rounded picture of your organisation. This way, volunteers can have insight into their impact and how this benefits the purpose of your organisation. 

How?

If possible, be sure to update your volunteering website features regularly. This is key for ensuring you come to the top of online search results. If you have an existing ‘news’ feed, recent and current volunteering events will fit in nicely. Entice those browsing your website with past and present volunteering projects, events and initiatives. Also, collect volunteer testimonies and feature them alongside the opportunity details. Hearing from a volunteer helps to assure prospective volunteers that your organisation is welcoming and personable. 

Include a call to action button! For example, ‘Volunteer with us’ or ‘Volunteer now!’. This can be in addition to more detailed opportunity descriptions, or as a stand-alone prompt. If you have less time or resources to create a volunteering news-style feed, simply linking to your TeamKinetic website via a call to action button will be effective. You can link to any relevant area of your TeamKinetic system; specific opportunities, your TeamKinetic homepage or volunteer registration.  

Using volunteering-related keywords in your website will mean that those looking for volunteering opportunities with your organisation, or similar, are more likely to be directed to your organisation’s website. Signposting volunteering news and opportunities on your website is a simple way to increase your chances of ranking higher in search results. Optimising your TeamKinetic page for Google search is explored in the TeamKinetic Best Practice – Search Engine Optimisation Signposting guide.

Best Practice Inspiration

An example of best practice website signposting would be Wiltshire Wildlife, who have a tab on their main organisation website that links directly to their TeamKinetic site. In addition to this, their ‘Blog’ and ‘News’ tabs feature regular volunteering opportunity-related updates and information.

More Signposting Best Practice!

For guidance on other best practice signposting methods including in-person signposting, search engine optimisation signposting and social media signposting, click here.

Ensure you follow us on our social media pages to receive regular updates about the voluntary sector and learn more about the TeamKinetic system. You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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TeamKinetic Best Practice: Signposting

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On 18th October 2023

In TeamKinetic Best Practice

TeamKinetic is perfect for showcasing your volunteering opportunities, but how do you make the journey to registering as a volunteer clear and simple? You may already be doing one or more of the following, depending on the nature of your organisation. But, as you will see, it is vital to effectively signpost your volunteering opportunities across in-person and various digital spaces! This way, you will maximise your volunteer reach and outcomes.

For seamless volunteer signposting, ensure you:

  1. Direct volunteers via your organisation’s website
  2. Optimise your TeamKinetic site for search engines 
  3. Use in-person signage
  4. Utilise your social media platforms

Click any of the above for guidance on how and why to incorporate each signposting method.

Ensure you follow us on our social media pages to receive regular updates about the voluntary sector and learn more about the TeamKinetic system. You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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TeamKinetic Best Practice: Signposting – Social Media

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On 18th October 2023

In TeamKinetic Best Practice

If you are a volunteering-involved organisation, don’t be quiet about it on social media! Social media signposting is best practice for attracting volunteers to your TeamKinetic. After creating an opportunity on your TeamKinetic site, there is an option to ‘Share’ to multiple channels including your organisation’s social media accounts under the ‘Promote’ tab on the left-hand toolbar. If your organisation already communicates with existing and prospective volunteers via their Facebook page, for example, then posting about volunteering opportunities on Facebook will increase your chances of attracting enthusiastic volunteers! Similarly, where enabled, your volunteering opportunities can be shared between different organisations’ TeamKinetic sites or national brokerage sites such as Do it, the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) or the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO).

In addition to your website, regularly update your social media page with volunteering news. Post links to opportunity pages on your TeamKinetic site, and engage with other sector voices. For example, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM) or Volunteer Scotland. Engaging with sector voices over social media draws attention to your organisation’s social media profile, and, in turn, drives traffic to your TeamKinetic site. Ways to engage with other organisations’ social media pages are; reposting and adding some of your thoughts, commenting on another page’s posts, or simply being active and liking posts that are of interest or relevance to your organisation. If links to your website and TeamKinetic site are present on your social media pages, either in your page’s ‘bio’ or within posts, your TeamKinetic site will be easy to find!

Best Practice Inspiration

An example of best practice social media signposting would be One Knowsley, who post a volunteering opportunity of the week feature across their social media pages. Including the opportunity link makes it quick and easy to view the opportunity page. Mentioning Guide Dogs improves One Knowsley’s chance of achieving a wider audience reach on Twitter.

More Signposting Best Practice!

For guidance on other best practice signposting methods including in-person signposting, website signposting and search engine signposting, click here.

Ensure you follow us on our social media pages to receive regular updates about the voluntary sector and learn more about the TeamKinetic system. You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Why Sports Conference Roundup

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On 20th September 2023

In Events and Conferences, News & Views

TeamKinetic recently attended the Why Sports ‘Improving Health and Increasing Activity Conference’ at the Royal Society of Medicine. Focusing on preventative health measures, the conference featured voices from the public, leisure, education and sports sectors. It was an informative, thought-provoking day punctuated by 8 themed sessions including a panel discussion hosted by TeamKinetic’s director, Chris. Here’s our Why Sports Conference roundup! 

So, Why Sports?

It’s common knowledge that activity is beneficial for the mind and body. Healthier people live happier lives. Those at the Why Sports conference want to turn this knowledge into concrete action. As Mike Farrar from Ukactive articulated at the conference opening, we must align the physical activity sector with the health sector.  When scaled, case studies and pilots by the likes of Sport England and Ealing Council can create widespread, real-life outcomes.

Social prescribing links together groups, services, people and activities within communities to address the social, emotional and practical influencers on health and wellbeing. Active Travel Lancashire have taken an approach that prioritises activity in communities by encouraging local cycling and walking. 

Keep offering support. In a couple of years time, the data will highlight the benefits of these ambitious schemes.

Declan O’Regan, Active Travel.

Without the likes of Gemma Hyde from the Town and Country Planning Association, such schemes could not be scaled. Gemma defined the concept of 20-minute neighbourhoods, why they benefit people’s health and, importantly, how can we make them happen. Using architectural design to remove barriers to activity is a significant undertaking that sparks much debate. The benefits of such a setup reach beyond health. If done in an inclusive, viable manner, 20-minute neighbourhoods can greatly benefit the environment and economy. 

The Conference encouraged partnerships of all kinds; between charities, community groups, councils and the NHS. Such partnerships provide direction and outcomes that can inform government policy and implementation. For the second time, Raleigh Bikes was a Why Sports sponsor. Birmingham and Southall’s free bike schemes evidence the power of activity once social and economic barriers are removed.

TeamKinetic Panel

Volunteering isn’t just about giving; it’s about gaining too! Alongside some brilliant keynotes, the TeamKinetic panel inspired some fantastic discussion. TeamKinetic’s Chris Martin was joined by Leila Bendrimia from GLL, Bryony Hudson from Active Lancashire and Lee Malkin from Everybody Health and Leisure. The panel spoke on what volunteering means to their organisations and the difference that effective volunteer engagement software has made. The connections between leisure trusts through the Active Kindness Programme showcase the power of volunteering in the sports, health and leisure sectors. Here are some snippets from the panel discussion:

Ask your volunteers why they are there, this is crucial for volunteer retention.

Leila, GLL.

When reporting back to our board about how volunteering is going, with TeamKinetic we can dissect data at the click of a button.

Lee, Everybody Health and Leisure.

Volunteering brings all the good vibes and best out of people, but having TeamKinetic lets us translate this into something tangible you can justify to your trustees or board.

Bryony, Active Lancashire.

Final Roundup  

The Why Sports  ‘Improving Health and Increasing Activity Conference’ built upon our existing awareness of the benefits of activity. Hearing from industry professionals and analysing case studies will inspire and inform the implementation of additional activity-based initiatives.  

Sheffield Hallam University developed the 5I’s ‘Easier to be Active’ Framework in partnership with Sport England, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, The Richmond Group of charities, and others. The framework overviews the necessary considerations when seeking to help people to live more active, healthy lifestyles. If you’re looking to incorporate activity into your organisation through volunteering or other schemes, this framework is a helpful starting point!

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

Conducting Volunteer Interviews

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On 30th August 2023

In Volunteer Management

Volunteer interviews are often a crucial step in the volunteer recruitment process. It is here that you can really get a sense of a person and their suitability for your organisation. However, conducting volunteer interviews is different to paid role interviews! Whether the potential for volunteer impact is small or big, volunteer interviews must be thoughtful and selective. 

Interviewer Responsibilities

As an interviewer, it is your responsibility to lay the groundwork for a productive volunteer interview. Volunteer interviews are usually more informal than interviews for paid roles and are conducted for the purpose of getting to know the candidate as opposed to checking credentials. If necessary skills or requirements are entered in TeamKinetic, only suitable candidates will be invited to interview. 

Remember that interviews are a two-way process. First, briefly outline the volunteer role and your organisation. This helps to put the interviewee at ease and affirms the focus of your discussion. Candidates should be given the opportunity to ask questions of their own in response to the information you have provided. A keen interest in the role and your organisation is always a positive!

Potential Questions

The informal nature of volunteer interviews can make it more difficult to select and sort volunteers. Having some core questions that structure the interview will make it easier to identify your chosen volunteer/s. Here are some question categories and examples to guide you when conducting volunteer interviews:

Personal

  • What motivates you? 
  • Do you prefer working independently or collaboratively?
  • What do you like to do in your free time?

General

  • Do you have any personal connection to our organisation?
  • What attracted you most to this volunteering opportunity?
  • What other volunteering experience do you have, if any?

Situational

  • What would you do if you were faced with an unhappy patient/customer/etc?
  • If you felt that someone in your team was behaving inappropriately, what would you do?
  • Describe a volunteering situation that would require you to be empathetic.

Volunteer Selection

Use your checklist of core questions for each interview to ‘score’ interviewees. In combination with your personal impression and wider discussions that took place, a scoring system in response to specific questions ensures your interview process is fair. More broad observations you can make include:

Interviewee Green Flags

  • Confident responses
  • Referring to examples in their answers
  • Genuine personality
  • Admitting weaknesses
  • Knowledge of the organisation

Interviewee Red Flags

  • Vague responses
  • Unclear intentions
  • Not prioritising values
  • Lack of knowledge about the organisation

Interview Tips for Volunteers

Make sure that you have an understanding of the organisation that you wish to volunteer for. Knowing the purpose of the organisation will guide you towards being the best volunteer you can be! 

Your interviewer wants to know that you will enjoy your role. Therefore, demonstrating enthusiasm for a voluntary position is particularly important. Your enjoyment and sense of purpose will be your primary motivators.

Ask questions! When researching the organisation, take note of the things that you would like to hear more about. Equally, feel free to ask any questions when the interviewer describes the role and organisation. This will show that you are interested and proactive.

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

Corporate Volunteering Considerations

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On 23rd August 2023

In Corporate, News & Views

In the UK, 44% of employees prioritise doing meaningful work over earning a high salary. Presenting positive, meaningful corporate volunteering opportunities can help attract talent to your organisation. Some corporate volunteering considerations include:

Company purpose and values 

Some companies choose to support organisations with a direct link to their company purpose. Being involved in such opportunities may benefit employees because of the potential for skill development in a related field. Irrespective of career-related benefits, an organisation that aligns with your company’s values is advantageous. Sustainability may be a core value of your organisation, for example. In this case, if a volunteering opportunity links to your company’s sustainability purpose, it is perceived as a more genuine, meaningful activity.

Aligning your needs

Having established the link between your company’s purpose and values with volunteering, it is important to select a volunteer-involved organisation that is in need of volunteers. There may also be additional preferences to consider. Some organisations require volunteers who can volunteer long-term; building upon their skills and organisation-specific knowledge. However, companies typically grant between 8 and 40 volunteering hours per employee, per year. If volunteering days and shorter-term initiatives are what your company is looking for, ensure that this is convenient for and welcomed by your preferred organisation.

ELBA’s promise is that every single instance of corporate volunteering is needed in the community – and we have the networks of community partners developed over decades to make sure this is the case. There are some open spaces that are only maintained as good places for local residents by the force of business volunteers; and we see year after year the transformative power of school student engaging with business mentors. All in all, it is an encouraging time for corporate volunteering at a time when input of volunteers in the community is more needed than ever. 

Ian PArke, Chief Executive of TeamKinetic Users ELBA (East London Buisness Alliance)
Lloyds of London at Leyton Jubilee Park. Corporate volunteering through ELBA.

Employee skill sets and interests

Consider your employees! Volunteering opportunities will be more successful if volunteers are engaged and enthusiastic. If an opportunity matches their exciting skillset, this may bring tremendous value to your company and the volunteer organisation. As discussed in our previous blog, volunteering is a fantastic opportunity to develop your employees’ career skills. A new environment with new challenges can be a refreshing, inspiring experience.

Research suggests that altruistic motivations are the primary driver for most employees considering partaking in corporate volunteering. Offering volunteering opportunities with a cause that your employees believe in is guaranteed to spark interest. Simply wanting to be involved may be the main motivation as opposed to a specific volunteering role. 

There has been a shift in the pattern of volunteering. Increasingly people want to volunteer in teams with their colleagues, and volunteering is seen as a great way to create and sustain team work at a time when most are spending part of the week working from home. We are now finding a smaller proportion want to do individual volunteering. The death knell to employee volunteering that many predicted from the new work from home patterns has not materialised – we have found people are willing to come in on their normal working from home days to volunteer in the community. 

Ian PArke, Chief Executive of TeamKinetic Users ELBA (East London Buisness Alliance)

Case Study: Avon Needs Trees

TeamKinetic users Avon Needs Trees offer corporate volunteering days in the winter planting season from December to March. This is a fantastic opportunity for companies who are looking for corporate volunteering that relates to sustainability values. Avon Needs Trees report that their corporate volunteering days benefit companies’ recruitment and retention, employee productivity and well-being, and even help attract new customers.

Corporate Volunteering with Avon Needs Trees

Key Considerations

So, ask your employees where their interests lie and if any organisations or causes are close to their hearts. You may be made aware of some fantastic local charities or organisations you have never come across before!

Consider how organisations or volunteering opportunities align with the purpose and values of your company. If well-matched, the partnership may last well into the future. 

Finally, and most importantly, understand the needs of your chosen organisation. If you have a genuine goal to make a difference, engage with a volunteer-involved organisation that needs and wants the type of corporate volunteering you are looking to provide.

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

The Career Benefits of Volunteering

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On 16th August 2023

In News & Views, TeamKinetic Features

With 51% of people citing work commitments as their primary barrier to volunteering, encourage your volunteers to volunteer to enhance, or even advance, their career prospects. Drawing attention to the career benefits of volunteering helps people to view volunteering as something that connects with their lifestyle. Volunteering opportunities that appeal to a volunteer’s hard or soft skills can enrich various qualities that will benefit almost any career. 

Benefits

Whether you are a corporate organisation looking to increase volunteering within your workforce, or you are a volunteer-involved organisation from any other sector, there are career-related benefits for your volunteers. Benefits include:

Networking and Relationship Building

Volunteering involves relationship-building with volunteer managers, mentors, and fellow volunteers. Through volunteering, volunteers can meet like-minded professionals. As a result, a volunteer’s professional network expands, opening the door for future carer opportunities and connections. 

Being a proactive, engaged volunteer is one of the best ways to demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm. Showcasing such skills may also benefit a volunteer’s career when they require a reference. Providing your volunteers with ongoing constructive feedback is a great way to ensure that your organisation and volunteers are getting the most out of a volunteering opportunity. With Thumbs Up feedback and recognition OpenBadges, providing feedback is easy with TeamKinetic.

Volunteers with TeamKinetic users Avon Needs Trees

Industry Experience and Exposure

A volunteering opportunity does not always need to relate directly to a volunteer’s current career. In fact, volunteering is a fantastic chance to explore a new sector of interest. For example, if a volunteer’s ambition is to work within the healthcare sector but they not yet have experience or insight into this field, volunteering is an opportunity to witness the healthcare industry in action.

If a volunteer is not looking to make a career change, they can benefit their career by gaining additional practical experience within their sector. Through volunteering, volunteers may encounter tasks that are not yet accessible to them in the form of a paid role. This is particularly beneficial for those just starting out in their career and looking for experience.

Skills development 

Volunteering can develop, teach and enhance a variety of skills. As mentioned above, this is true for volunteering roles that do and do not relate to a volunteer’s current career. Stepping into a value-lead environment is a grounding experience for many volunteers. The contrast between a volunteering space and a work environment is an opportunity for volunteers to see the importance of empathy and building healthy working relationships. 

Giving talks about my career has helped my presentation and networking skills. If you can do a presentation for teenagers you can present to anyone! I have also gained mentoring skills which transfer well into people management at work.

Shereen, a volunteer with TeamKinetic users Stemettes

When looking to create volunteering opportunities that may benefit a volunteer’s career, you can think beyond so-called ‘unskilled’ roles. Although the volunteer-involved environment in and of itself benefits volunteers, many volunteers will have existing skills they are looking to develop or utilise. When creating an opportunity using TeamKinetic, this requirement can be made clear by providing details in the ‘Skills Required’ section. This way, you do not need to worry about volunteers being unprepared or unaware when beginning an opportunity.

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

TeamTalk: Season 3, Episode 1 – Rob Jackson

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On 9th August 2023

In News & Views, TeamTalk Podcast

Welcome to Season 3 of our TeamTalk Podcast! This season, we are talking to thought leaders, customers and stakeholders from the world of volunteer management as we dive deeper into the world of volunteering.

We are also joined again by our co-host Imo Greatbatch. Imo is currently the Head of Volunteering at England Netball, she is passionate about volunteering in sports and is offering her knowledge and insight on the topic. 

In this TeamTalk episode, we were super excited to be joined by Rob Jackson. Rob has worked in the volunteering movement for almost 30 years, during which time he has led and managed volunteers and volunteering in education, advice, fundraising and children’s services settings at local, regional and national levels.  

Listen Now

Join Chris, Imo and Rob as they discuss Rob’s journey into volunteering and volunteer management, the current state of the world of work and how it might affect volunteering, and the upcoming TeamKinetic Conference.

A big thank you to Rob. It was great to catch up and hear his journey into how he got into the world of volunteering.  

Listen now on Spotify and all other podcast streaming platforms:

More about Rob

Rob worked for Volunteering England for six years, most of which he spent as Director of Development and Innovation. Rob also provided the secretariat to the ground breaking Volunteer Rights Inquiry. 

As well as his expertise in volunteerism, Rob has strong links with the fundraising world. He spent six years as a member of the Institute of Fundraising’s Standards Committee and chaired the Institute’s working party which developed the UK’s first code of good practice on volunteer fundraising. 

In 2011 Rob established Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd and now provides consultancy,  public speaking and training services on a range of topics, with strategic volunteer engagement remaining at the core of his work. Rob works with clients large and small in  the UK, USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. 

Rob is an active volunteer, having previously served as chair of governors at a large Lincolnshire primary school and founded UKVPMs, an email networking resource for UK based Volunteer Programme Managers that operated between 1997 and 2020 (and now  as a LinkedIn group).

Enjoyed this episode? Why not join us at our 2023 Conference, where we take a look at the changing world and its potential impact on volunteering. Rob will even be joining us as a speaker! You can get your ticket now for the low price of £10.

Get Your Ticket to the 2023 TeamKinetic Conference

If you have any topic or guest requests let us know! You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Post-Pandemic Volunteering: Lessons and Opportunities

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On 2nd August 2023

In COVID-19, News & Views, Volunteer Management

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on every aspect of our lives, including the world of volunteering. As a result, there are valuable lessons to be learned and new opportunities to be seized with post-pandemic volunteering. 

So what are these lessons? What can we learn from the pandemic and how can we explore emerging opportunities for post-pandemic volunteering?

Resilience and Community Spirit

The UK yo-yo-ing in and out of lockdowns created a new kind of resilience and community spirit that many neighbourhoods may not have seen before. Those who were able to help their vulnerable neighbours were happy to do so, from befriending to shopping deliveries, the power of individuals coming together to support one another was highlighted during this time. This renewed sense of community can continue to inspire and drive volunteering efforts in a post-pandemic society. 

These small acts of service during the pandemic have shed light on the power of micro-volunteering. Perhaps people now realise that they can volunteer and help their communities without long-term commitments. This perception of volunteering as a long-term commitment may have deterred people in the past due to busy lifestyles and other obligations. Micro-volunteering allows people to get involved and improve their communities in a way that works for them.

Remote Volunteering and Virtual Engagement

One of the significant adaptations during the pandemic was the rise of remote volunteering and virtual engagement. This shift presents new opportunities for volunteer engagement – especially for those who may face challenges in the form of geographical or physical limitations. 

Remote/virtual volunteering is accessible, inclusive, and again, allows for more micro-volunteering opportunities. Offering volunteering opportunities that are remote opens you up to a new, wider range of potential volunteers. Remote volunteering gives flexibility, not only to volunteers but to the opportunity providers too.

Health and Safety Considerations

The COVID-19 pandemic brought health and safety to the forefront of our collective consciousness. We learned valuable lessons about the importance of implementing proper health and safety protocols in all walks of life, including volunteering. These protocols protect both the volunteers and the communities they help. 

As we continue to navigate a post-pandemic world, these lessons will guide us to create safer environments for volunteers to do the work they love and improve the well-being of everyone involved. Prioritising health and safety considerations in volunteer programs can create an environment that protects volunteers, beneficiaries, and the wider community. 

Reimagining Volunteer Roles and Skills

During the pandemic, traditional volunteer roles were re-evaluated and re-purposed to dynamically meet the needs of local communities. COVID-19 prompted people to learn new skills and adapt. The shift to remote communication caused many people to learn how to use digital technologies for the first time – something that will no doubt be handy in the years to come. It has also opened the door for new volunteering opportunities centred around aiding people use these technologies who may have difficulty on their own.

The adaptability of people during this difficult time is admirable. The ever-changing world in which we live is likely to throw up new challenges again, but we can be confident in the population’s ability to adapt and respond in order to help their community.

Mental Health and Emotional Support

One big impact of the pandemic and lockdown was a rise in social isolation. People who lived alone were suddenly separated from society. To combat this, we saw a large increase in befriending services, with people giving their time to regularly contact someone within their community to combat those feelings of isolation.

Aside from that, the pandemic also took a toll on mental health generally. It highlighted the importance of taking care of your mental health and the need for good access to mental health services. Incorporating mental health resources and prioritising emotional well-being within day-to-day volunteer programs is now crucial. This approach not only enhances the support available to volunteers but also allows them to better serve and empathise with those they assist, building a better community.

You can do this by:

  • Regular training for all volunteers about mental health awareness
  • Providing resources and information about local services they can use
  • Peer support networks
  • Regular mental health check-ins
  • Promoting open conversations about mental health

Continually evaluating the resources you provide to your volunteers is also essential. Remember to keep everything up-to-date and relevant to make the best impact!

Enjoyed this blog? Why not join us at our 2023 Conference, where we take a look at the changing world and its potential impact on volunteering. You can get your ticket now for the low price of £10!

Get Your Ticket to the 2023 TeamKinetic Conference

Ensure you follow us on our social media pages to receive regular updates about the voluntary sector and learn more about the TeamKinetic system. You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Sports Organisations: Inspire Volunteers

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On 26th July 2023

In Sport, Volunteer Management

For many community sports organisations, volunteers are their lifeblood. Despite their reliance on volunteers’ commitment, skills and enthusiasm, 70% of sports groups and clubs report a shortage of volunteers. As sporting activities and opportunities are in full swing during the summer, there is no better time for your sports organisation to inspire new and existing volunteers. Debunk the ‘sporty’ stereotype, raise awareness of opportunities, and hop on the back of events.

Badminton England use TeamKinetic to manage their volunteers and events.

Not ‘Sporty’? Don’t Worry!

Engaging volunteers as a sports organisation is achievable when opportunities and messaging align. Volunteering can be intimidating when prospective volunteers are unaware of what an opportunity entails. TeamKinetic allows for detailed descriptions to be included on every opportunity. This way, your volunteer criteria are more likely to be met because volunteers are aware and reassured. 

Equally, a lack of confidence in their physical abilities is something that many people experience. This Girl Can found that 48% of women are worried that they are too unfit to be active this summer, and 40% are worried about being good enough at the activity. If your sports organisation is looking to expand your volunteer reach, ensure that your opportunities specify expectations. Transparent, inclusive messaging is an opportunity for your organisation to inspire those who do not typically consider themselves as ‘sporty’. Without pressure to perform, volunteers can enjoy the benefits of exercise. 

“You don’t have to be great at sport, or have always played it, to volunteer. Unless you’re doing a really technical role, like refereeing, you won’t need any specialist knowledge. If there’s an interesting club or event near you, go along and ask if you can help – chances are they will be delighted to see you.” 

Jennie, Sport England.

Your organisation can also offer a multitude of roles that do not involve physical activity. For example, spectator services. This way, those who want to ease into a sporting environment, or are unable to participate for whatever reason, can be welcomed and included.

Raising Awareness

Beyond identifying skill gaps, knowing how to fill them can be challenging. Do not forget to approach your current volunteers, especially if knowledge of your organisation would be desirable for the given role. Approaching existing volunteers is of benefit to both your organisation and volunteers because it helps to maintain the volunteers’ interest and sense of contribution. Once again, it is crucial to be transparent about what an opportunity entails. Especially in the context of sports, do not assume that volunteers are willing or capable of participating in all aspects of your organisation. 

When looking to inspire new volunteers, TeamKinetic is ideal for reaching those who can bring particular skills to your organisation. With TeamKinetic, your organisation can be linked with brokerage sites such as Do-it, Volunteering Scotland or Volunteering Wales. Linking with the UK’s national volunteering database Do-it, for example, allows opportunities to be promoted across a very large audience.

Make the Most of Events

Whether you’re a community sports organisation or a larger-scale sports organisation, you can jump on the back of major sporting events. Such events do not need to be related to the same sport as your organisation in order to unify, inspire and attract volunteers. It’s all about showcasing the power of sport. Local, low-cost involvement with major sports events helps to publicise your organisation. Don’t hesitate to shout about your small-scale events on social media, this can only raise awareness of your organisation!

Events you could consider organising include watch parties, taster sessions and tournaments. Your organisation could also consider partnering with other local sports organisations to celebrate major events. This is a great chance for volunteers to meet and for your organisation to seek out new volunteer-involved opportunities.

Upcoming events this summer include:

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

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