Building Volunteer Capacity and Planning for the Future A Workshop for Sports Clubs Sports Partnership Trust Conference April 19 th 2012

Outline of workshop Understanding your volunteering workforce Where are you now? Planning for growth Where do you want to be? Recruiting for the future How do you get there?

The Value of Volunteers Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they are worthless but because they are priceless. Junior coach 6 hours/week=24 hours month =£240 per month Club Secretary 2 hours/day=8 hours/month =£80 per month Committee member 1 meeting/month for 10 months =£200 per month Chair 1 hour/day=28 days a month =£280 per month A club with only 4 volunteers is receiving £800 of expertise every month. How much cash value do volunteers add to your club?

Recognise any of these volunteers? “ Ask Tom- he’ll know……….” Can obstruct new volunteers from taking on key jobs Possibly resistant to new challenges and passing on skills Organisation may fail I’ll stay for one more season………” Can prevent new volunteers from progressing and may make succession planning difficult. Often difficult to change working pattern and behavior ”We’ve never had to do that before……….” Organisation can only grow to the capacity of the skills and abilities of those in post Can be destructive and undermining Threatens survival “I can’t do that…………” Limited vision beyond abilities I don’t know about it so we can’t do it and don’t need it May cause problems if legislative issues are not met

Understanding your volunteering workforce Doing a SWOT analysis for your club Assessment of your Strengths Evaluation of your Weaknesses Identifying Opportunities Considering potential Threats

Planning for growth Development Plan v To Do list Where are we now (Audit) Where do we want to be (Aims) How will we get there? (Plan/Actions) How will we know we have got there?(Review) Tips on Planning Inform and involve the members Not a one person job Don’t procrastinate Keep members updated Keep it simple

Recruiting new volunteers to support your future plans. Where can you find new volunteers? First impressions-the difference between gaining a volunteer and losing a volunteer? How a volunteer coordinator can help make a good club great.

What kind of volunteers do you need? Draw up SHORT basic role descriptions to keep yourself on track. Be realistic about volunteer roles-volunteers are part time and unpaid Identify any roles which need very specific skills Be flexible.

Where to find new volunteers from outside your club Volunteer Centre Advertise Locally Advertise through Sports Bodies Word of mouth Recruiting younger volunteers Recruiting older volunteers

New Volunteers The difference between losing a volunteer and gaining a volunteers..

How to lose a volunteerHow to gain a volunteer F ir st c on tact w i th t h e club Can’t get through to anyone Can’t get the information you need Person you need to speak to is not there/not available Message/letter/ not replied to quickly Person you speak to doesn’t know anything about volunteering Person you speak to is unwelcoming Information about volunteer role unclear Too much or too little information Not clear what to do next Quick, efficient response to enquiries First point of contact is friendly, helpful and well-informed – frontline staff or volunteers are welcoming and encouraging and understand the process Quickly given clear information about the role and expectations Clear information about what to do next R e c r u i tme n t a n d a pp li ca t i o n p r o ce s s Process is too formal or complicated, or is impersonal Too much paperwork or bureaucracy Process takes too long Long delay before starting Lack of explanation about delays or processes (e.g. CRB checks) Not made to feel welcome or wanted Feeling that volunteers aren’t really needed/Made to feel like a nuisance Inflexible about roles or commitment Pressure to take on a role that doesn’t interest you Application process is quick, efficient, relaxed and proportionate to the role - a ‘light touch’ Any delays or checks are fully explained Volunteer kept informed throughout Made to feel welcome and wanted Volunteer is matched to a role which fits their skills, motivations and availability

Can you identify a volunteer coordinator? Help with recruiting Gets the welcome process right Ensures volunteers are settling in Keeps on eye on drifting of tasks (ie a volunteer being overloaded with more and more work) Plans for the future (ie has an ear to the ground and know when gaps will appear) Makes volunteers feel appreciateted Helps to identify issues before they become problems.

Get your volunteering right Volunteer Coordinator