Volunteering for Young People
Volunteering in sport is a great way to gain valuable skills and experience whilst doing something really fun and exciting.
Applying for jobs or college/university can be very competitive and the skills and experience you can gain as a volunteer will set you apart from other young people showing not only what you can do but also that you are motivated and committed.
What could I do?
How much time would I need to give?
How will volunteering in sport benefit me?
Do I need any skills or experience?
Volunteer Case Study
How can I get involved?
What could I do?
There are many different types of role you can do. You don't need to be good at a sport, enthusiasm and motivation are all you really need, the rest can be learned as you go along!
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IT and media eg. Website design and photography
- Coaching
- Officiating eg. Match officials or referees
- Administration eg. Project management,
- Team manager
- Event helpers
- Publicity and marketing
How much time would I need to give?
There are volunteer opportunities in sport requiring anything from a few hours a month to regular time each week. There are also opportunities for one-off volunteering at sports events.
Clubs and organisations understand how precious your time is and will make sure that the time you volunteer is used effectively and in a way that works for you.
How will volunteering in sport benefit me?
By volunteering in sport and/or physical activity you are adding another dimension to your job or college applications. The skills and experience gained through volunteering will set you apart from those who haven't and will show to potential employers or universities and colleges not just that you have skills and experience that others don't, but also that you are motivated and enthusiastic.
Some of the other benefits include:
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The opportunity to gain valuable experience and to enhance your career prospects
- To learn new skills, or use and enhance the ones you already have
- To obtain up to date character references and add to your CV
- To build confidence
- To face new challenges
- To experiment with different things
- To get out and about
- To use up your spare time, doing something worthwhile
- Helping others, and the wider community
- Meeting new people and making new friends
- Working as part of a team The chance to obtain awards and certificates for your efforts
Do I need any skills or experience?
Volunteering in sport or physical activity is open to everyone whether you come from a sporty background or not. A few roles require specific experience eg a lead coach but most roles simply require a reasonable level of physical fitness, a positive attitude and willingness to get involved and learn. You will pick up many skills along the way and may get opportunities to undertake training to gain qualifications.
Sports and physical activity clubs, local schools and organisations need people with many different skills such as marketing and promotion, IT and many volunteers find that their other skills are transferable and can be very useful; for example someone who enjoys working with computers, designing websites etc could help a club to set up or improve their website, or someone who enjoys playing football could assist at a primary school football session.
Volunteer Case Study
Find out how other people are getting involved? Check out the Case study: Lucy Nichols - Young volunteer.
How can I get involved?
Camden has a specific sports volunteering programme for young people called Step into Sport.
If you would like to talk to our brokerage assistants and search for volunteering opportunities at Volunteer Centre Camden, go to Opening Hours.
If you would like to search for volunteering opportunities online, go to Do-it Search.
