#KentFAThanksU - Volunteer Support

The Kent FA recognises the value of volunteers in running and developing football at every level and as part of the #KentFAThanksU campaign we look at

Recruit more volunteers into football

One of the major tasks when starting a new club or for an existing club is to ensure you have enough people to run the club. There are a number of key roles, which need to be filled no matter whether you’re a one-team start-up or a 30-team FA Community Club.

It is important for clubs to plan and co-ordinate their volunteers to ensure all essential roles are fulfilled. Often it falls upon one or two committed parents who take on the running of a club, but taking on too much can be a burden and roles should be shared where possible. As a starting point, it is recommended that each club appoints a volunteer co-ordinator to recruit, support and oversee the volunteer operation.

This should be a senior role within the club and should be a part of the club management committee. The volunteer co-ordinator should be approachable, friendly, a good communicator and team player, enthusiastic and committed to the club.

It may be useful to write a list of the roles required for the club and who fulfils these roles. When roles become vacant, you can then look to fill these with other clubs members or people associated with the club.

One way in which you can advertise volunteering opportunities is through your local Volunteer Centre. Click here for a list for Kent based volunteer centres. In addition to this we encourage clubs to advertise via the UK’s national volunteering database, Do-it.org.

We also offer clubs and leagues the opportunity to advertise via our Perfect Match tool which allows you to place an advert to help find players, volunteers, clubs or leagues. All adverts are moderated and only approved adverts will be shown. You can submit an advert by clicking here.

Support and develop existing volunteers

Volunteers are a major asset and if properly managed, can make a huge contribution to the success and sustainability of your club. Some clubs are successful in attracting volunteers, but the real success story will be in supporting the volunteers to fulfil their roles to the best of their ability – and retaining their services each season.

The key to managing volunteers is good leadership. An effective leader will be able to inspire, direct and guide volunteers in their roles.

If the recruitment process has been undertaken properly, volunteers will have a clear idea about the responsibilities associated with their new role. It is sensible to have an induction period to ease new volunteers into their role with a handover where necessary. Volunteers should be made to feel needed, useful, part of the team, welcome and thanked for their efforts.

Rewarding your volunteers for their hard work is key to retaining their services, but will also help raise the profile of volunteering within your club. Think how you reward players at an end-of-season presentation evening, and consider if this is an appropriate time to say thank you to your volunteers. Consider what gestures you could make to honour all the time they have committed.

Communicating the work of volunteers and the importance of their role within your club can help to identify new members willing to offer their time. There will always be a natural turnover of volunteers as many are parents of players who may leave the club, so it is vital to ensure you backfill roles. By promoting volunteering in your club’s communications and recognising contributions at matches and social events, you will raise the profile of the importance of volunteering.

The Kent FA Football Futures programme is an excellent opportunity for young volunteers to gain further knowledge and insight into various roles within football and can offer the start of a great adventure through volunteering in sport. Click here for more details on the programme.

Resources

Useful websites

Get your club and league involved

If you’re a member of a local football club or league, then you’ll know how valuable volunteers are.

#KentFAThanksU is your chance to celebrate and show your appreciation for those volunteers that make the game in your area possible for so many. We have launched a toolkit full of useful resources so clubs and leagues can make the most of the campaign by clicking here.