A Member's Guide to Volunteers' Week

Volunteering and the Alliance?

In advance of Volunteers’ Week, you may have noticed a number of developments going on this spring in relation to our volunteering work, branding and resources. And we want to make sure it’s as clear as possible for you and your clubs – especially during Volunteers’ Week. We have put together a ‘Member Volunteering Cheat Sheet’ to give you:

• an overview of our volunteering activities
• some statistics to back up daily volunteering decisions and
• an explanation of how our volunteering work has developed.

Why is Volunteers' Week important to us?

We believe volunteers contribute to a happier, healthier nation by getting more people active.

Our sector relies heavily on the 5.6 million sport and physical activity volunteers that give up their time each month. And we know that this contribution can be underappreciated at times, with 32% of volunteers reported stopping or reducing their commitment in the last year alone. In response, Volunteers’ Week provides us with an opportunity to…

1. Create 'peak experiences' celebrating our volunteers hard work and fostering environments that make volunteers want to stay.
   1. Sample social media post for you to celebrate our volunteers. "We are an #ActiveNation built and run by #volunteers, with each one generating capacity for 8.5 members. We are using this #VolunteersWeek to recognise every person that has contributed to oru sport on the front line and behind the scenes."
2. Leverage a massive volunteer audience, from in and outside the sector, to get as many people volunteering in sport and recreation as possible using the Volunteer Finder (launching on 4 June).
   1. Sample text to promote through your newsletters and/or emails. "The Sport and Recreation Alliance has released a new and improved Volunteer Finder to help clubs and groups find volunteers in their local area for Free. You will be able to create a profile, list the type of ovlunteers you're looking for and need, and have instant access to thousands of volunteers searching for their next opportunity."
   2. Sample Tweet for you to offer a new resource to your clubs and groups. "Volunteers' Week is a great time to think about bringing fresh faces and new support into your club or group. @Sportrectweets have released a free, new Volunteer Finder to make matching with volunteers in your local area easier than ever before." (Volunteer Finder Graphic)
   3. Sample tweet for you to get more volunteers into your sport and/or area. "Whether you're a participant, have a knack for twitter or would enjoy helping out once in a while, consider volunteering in your local community through sport and recreation. The @joininuk Volunteer Opportunity Finder is a free and easy way to match with the perfect club near you." (Volunteer Opportunity Finder Graphic)

We hope this is helpful for you and your clubs during this Volunteers’ Week. But, if you have any questions about the Volunteer Finder, our volunteering work or anything else, please do not hesitate to ask – we are always here.

We would also love to hear from you about the great work you are doing with volunteering, so we can support you this Volunteers’ Week on our social media. Contact Evan Whetsell at ewhetsell@sportandrecreation.org.uk.

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