My Club Volunteers

The people in our rugby clubs are the most vital. Retaining our volunteers in Rugby is the key to your club being successful in the future.

As a club your must develop practices to support your volunteer base. Clubs should work towards having a volunteer managment plan that is innovative and flexible so they can meet the needs and expectations of a rugby volunteer.

Why do People Volunteer?

Volunteer work its self is not always seen as fulfilling. The reasons people give for becoming a volunteer, and the benefits they feel they gain, infrequently mention work.

Reasons for Volunteering

  • Being of service to the community - 47%
  • Personal satisfaction  - 43%
  • Young people aged 18-24 volunteered for personal satisfaction (40%) and to help others in the community (40%), to gain new skills (13%) and gain work experience (17%)

Source - Volunteering Queensland

How Volunteers First Become Involved

  • Asked to volunteer by someone - 30%
  • Self or family involved in the club/sport - 28%
  • Knew someone involved - 21%
  • Sought our volunteer activity - 13%
  • Saw an advertisement or report in the media - 4%

Source: Volunteering WA

The Volunteer Management Model

The Volunteer Management Model involves brining volunteers into your club, looking after them while they fulfil their duties and then planning for when they leave. This model gives an overview of the 1-6 stages.

  1. Recruitment - the process of attracting new volunteers to your club
  2. Selection/Screening - making sure you appoint the best person for the best position
  3. Orientation - once a volunteer has been appointed, making sure they settle in, fell well informed and valued.
  4. Training/Development - ensuring your volunteers have the knowledge and skills to perform their volunteer roles to the best of their ability
  5. Recognition - making sure your volunteers know that the work they are doing is appreciated and valued by the club.
  6. Retention/Replacement - planning for and managing the process of volunteers leaving your club so there is little impact on the running of the club.

When implementing volunteer management strategies, it's a good idea to develop an action plan to help your club adopt volunteer management strategies. When developing this action plan for you club, try to incorporate each of the 6 stages in the Volunteer Management Model.

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