The team at Henley Swim, who organise a number of open water events in South East England, have issued a release to spotlight the importance of volunteers and volunteering at all endurance sport events.
The Henley Swim team organise open water swim events such as the Henley Classic (25 June), Henley Mile (9 July), Club to Pub (22 July) and Thames Marathon (6 August). They point to the positive impact from volunteers at Henley Swim events, but also at the diverse events across the UK and beyond…
We all notice more and more sporting events coming to our towns and countryside: Tough Mudders, marathons, half marathons, PTA fun runs, parkrun, triathlons and open water swims. This is partly because they are fun to organise and take part in, but also serve as a means of socialising as we find ourselves working in more isolation and hiding behind screens.
Entering an event or volunteering at an event is a way for us to be part of a team, discover a new place or just to leave cyberspace behind for a while and enjoy the buzz and excitement of sporting events.
These events may be organised by professional companies or amateurs, but they all require a team of helpers who want to be involved for personal or professional reasons, or to support a charity close to their heart. A volunteer is a person who works for an organisation without being paid or a person who freely offers to take part in a task. In return they become part of a team, meet new people and can develop new skills or use professional skills to benefit the community.
But there are more reasons to volunteering than these. Some wish to give something back to their community; others wish to improve employability; some wish to take a look at the event to see if it’s a challenge they can take on before entering. But to all, volunteering boosts happiness and wellbeing.
Sport England is launching a new initiative to highlight the double benefits of volunteering; the time, energy and expertise given by the volunteer benefits not only the participant but also the volunteer. To be a volunteer you don’t have to be fit, sporty or know the rules. You need to give your time and any expertise…. and a smile!
Sport England quotes that 66% of volunteers signed up from word of mouth. This is a huge percentage and suggests that those who have been part of the volunteer team have enjoyed their experience and are recommending it to friends and colleagues. 20% site personal reasons, for example the choice of charity the event is supporting, as the motivation to give up their time.
At Henley Swim we rely heavily on volunteers and we value their contribution immensely. We insist that both volunteers and swimmers go home with a totally positive experience. We offer each volunteer a free race entry to one of the Henley Swim races by way of a thank you for their time and free refreshments during the event as well as a ‘going home present’ of an event t-shirt or something similar.
Angela McCullogh, who lives in Reading, became part of our volunteer team as friends had been talking about our events. Not only had she recently got back into swimming and was keen to explore the open water arena but Angela knows how much fun volunteering can be – having been a Games Master at London 2012 and a regular marshal at the Reading Half Marathon.
When we asked Angela what she gets out of volunteering she admitted to it being very hard work but immensely rewarding because the Henley Swim team is ‘brilliant and dedicated to making every event a good one for the participant but also for its volunteers’. Everyone carries home a sense of pride in being part of that team and event. She loves helping the participants with queries and supporting the first timers through what is often a massive personal challenge.
