Beckett Sports Volunteer Programme

Volunteering in sport can take many forms – it can be in the form of coaching, mentoring, officiating, running events, designing websites and much more.

There is no specific amount of time needed to volunteer and no restrictions on your experience. Here are some facts about sports volunteering:

• You DO NOT need to be good at sport or have a technical knowledge of it. 
• You DO NOT need to be a member of a club to volunteer. 
• You DO NOT need loads of time.
• You DO NOT have to have loads of experience.

Volunteering is a fantastic opportunity and the benefits are endless. They can include: 

All our available opportunities are posted online, and fall into one of the below categories:

• Club coaching
• School-based coaching
• Event management
• Officiating
• Sports science support
• PR & Marketing
• Administration and development.

To view all our opportunities, please click on the link at the top of the page.

If you already volunteer, you can still register onto the Beckett Sports Volunteer Programme and receive the same benefits. All we need you to do is:

• Log on to MyHub and register the details with us
• Record your Opportunity Provider's contact details

The process for registering onto the Beckett Sports Volunteer Programme couldn’t be easier. Take a look at all the opportunities available to you by clicking on the button above.

Once you have found an opportunity/opportunities that interest you, or if you would like to register your own, you can follow the steps below:

1. Visit the Beckett Sports Volunteering page on MyHub; read and agree the Terms & Conditions.
2. Apply for an opportunity advertised for the programme or register your own volunteering opportunity.
3. You will be notified if you have successfully secured the opportunity.
4. Once secured, you must meet with the organisation and agree learning objectives and a start date; these must be recorded on MyHub, at which point you may be entitled to collect your free kit!
5. To be entitled to an award at the end of your volunteering experience, you must record all your hours on MyHub.
6. This process must be completed for EACH opportunity you apply for.

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For some opportunities where volunteers will be working unsupervised with young children and/or vulnerable adults, it is a requirement that they have a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. Some students may have a DBS already through their course, this may be accepted. However, if you don’t have a DBS, then the organisation you will be volunteering for can usually process it on your behalf. If some organisations can’t carry out the DBS check, then our team will be able to assist you.

We realise that volunteering isn’t for everyone, and that sometimes things don’t always work out the way you'd hoped or planned. If you aren’t enjoying your experience, then let us know and we can discuss any issues with you and/or the provider. We can also help you find a better suited opportunity.

Please don’t suddenly stop going to your organisation, as this can set a bad example and can damage any future opportunities we might have with them. It might also mean you aren’t eligible to volunteer with us in the future.

We will be in regular contact with you to make sure everything is going smoothly with your volunteering and that you are enjoying it and getting the most out of it. We are available to contact should you have any questions or issues about your experience. It is also important that you reply to any emails or calls so we can monitor your volunteering and the opportunity in general.

Every opportunity should offer volunteers some form of training before they start. Most of the time this is informal training, however, sometimes volunteers may be put through some official training programmes which can provide an added bonus to your CV. 

There are also further opportunities with the Carnegie Coach Education unit within Sport & Active Lifestyles at the University. Volunteers who excel in their involvement in the programme may be entitled to receive funding for further qualifications.

This depends on the volunteering provider. Many will look to reimburse your travel costs, however, some may not as they may not have funding available.

Usually you will be able to get directions once you have spoken with the supervisor. You can also search online for public transport routes, and the map location of where the volunteering is taking place.

Once you have come to the end of your volunteering, or you have finished for the academic year, you can submit your hours online via MyHub, and the sports volunteering team will verify these with the organisation(s) before you collect your award certificate.

The number of hours volunteering you have completed equates to a different award as follows: 

• Over 120 hours = Platinum Award
• 96 – 119 hours = Gold Award 
• 72 – 95 hours = Silver Award 
• 48 – 71 hours = Bronze Award 
• 47 hours & under = Volunteer Award 

The award is acknowledged by the University, is verified by the Sport & Fitness Manager and signed by the Vice Chancellor. 

At the end of your volunteering, both the volunteer and the volunteering supervisor will be asked to complete an evaluation form. It is important we receive this feedback so we can look to improve the programme for the future.

Useful Information

Below are some useful websites that provide additional information about Sports Volunteering:

• www.bucs.org
• www.do-it.org.uk
• www.sportsleaders.org
• www.sportengland.org
• https://doinggoodleeds.org.uk