Workforce

Volunteers have a vital role to play in helping to ensure the safe return for many sports and activities as coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions are eased. 

This is particularly true of community clubs and groups, who are often entirely dependent on volunteers giving their time so the club or group can deliver sport and activity safely. 

Ensuring a safe and supportive environment to encourage volunteers to re-engage and feel able to give their time in a safe environment will be critical as part of preparing for the return of activity.

It's important to identify the practical steps that can be taken so volunteers feel supported, welcomed and most importantly able to volunteer safely if they choose to do so. 

Inevitably, volunteering in your club or group will, when permitted, look different than it did before the pandemic. From who volunteers, what they do and how much time they're able to provide, to the new roles that are needed to keep those taking part and members safe.

Balancing the new needs of the club with those of the volunteers will require a flexible approach, and the ability and willingness to adapt.

Keeping participants and volunteers safe is paramount, and any activity and volunteering should only take place in line with government guidelines.

Your sport or activity will have (or will be in the process of developing) a 'return to play'  guide, developed by the national governing body for the sport.  

It should help to provide a framework to guide you, setting out the wider context for your volunteer engagement and management. It will also help you to work through the tasks and roles you may need volunteers to support you with. 

Understanding the wider framework of the relevant return to play guide may also be helpful for volunteers, so they can understand how their role and the tasks they do contribute towards this.

Other useful resources

Our club support programme, Club Matters, has developed a reopening action plan that encourages you to look across your club or organisation to help formulate a plan for returning as and when permitted by the government.

If you own or run any facilities, there will be government and sport-specific guidelines you will need to follow around hygiene and social distancing, which will have an impact on volunteers and their roles.

Communication with volunteers throughout this process will be key, and the relevant return to play guide could be a helpful way to start a dialogue with volunteers about returning to volunteering, what elements of their role might be possible and how they feel about returning to volunteering in a new context.

Consider sharing the guide with your volunteers and using it to discuss what it means for their role.

It’s important to talk to volunteers about their role and ensure they're comfortable with what their tasks would be and how to keep themselves safe whilst volunteering.

Many may be nervous about coming back, so it may be beneficial to ensure you can tell volunteers what measures will be put in place to keep them safe and what steps you're taking to support them if and when they do return. 

If there are going to be significant changes to their role, communicate with your volunteers as early as possible, before changes are put into place, so that you agree them and they know what to expect and how they can be supported. 

Existing volunteers may also have ideas or suggestions that may help you consider how to best support your club or those taking part, and how they can contribute their time and skills.

Volunteers may have other responsibilities at this time, such as looking after relatives, childcare or changing working circumstances. It's therefore worthwhile checking in with them to identify what time they may be able to commit and what flexibility and support they may need so they can carry out their volunteering role. It may be that they can still help, but may need to do a different role or carry it out in a different way.