
Coaching & Development
Beckett Sports Volunteer Programme
Sports volunteering is a fantastic way to gain experience and learn new skills to support your academic learning. The programme works in support from Sport England and British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS), together we are committed to providing volunteers with as many opportunities to develop and to gain as many qualifications as possible.
You don’t have to be sporty to undertake any volunteering, as opportunities are available across a whole variety of skills and areas. All volunteers will receive a certificate to the level that they have volunteered at, as well as free kit!
To see all the latest sports volunteering opportunities, please click on to the link below which will take you to your MyHub log in page. Once you have logged in, type the letters 'BSVP' under the 'Search Vacancy' box to see a full list of opportunities.
Our Sports Volunteers carry out their volunteering with many reputable partners and organisations and a time that suits them.
Many of our opportunities involve volunteering in local schools and sports clubs who are eager for more help in delivering, managing or promoting sport to their participants or wider community.
Local clubs and organisations like schools, sports clubs and charities request volunteers, and we can help place you with them. There are also opportunities available within the University's own Sport & Active Lifestyles department.
All our volunteering opportunities are available to view above by clicking the link above. .
New opportunities are promoted throughout the year, so please check back regularly to see what is available to you.
To see the process involved for student volunteers on the programme, please open the following document:
Student Volunteer Process Map
If you are an organisation requiring sports volunteers, and would like to advertise available roles to our students as part of the Beckett Sports Volunteer Programme, then please also get in touch, as we'd love to be able to support you and your organisation.
To see the process involved for Opportunity Providers, please open the following document:
For more information, please call in to the Sports Office at Carnegie Sports Centre Reception, Headingley Campus, or contact:
Craig Robinson
Student Sport Coordinator
0113 8126546
craig.robinson@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
FAQs
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.
- Leaning new skills and / or developing ones you already have
- Strengthening your CV and professional portfolio
- Increasing your employment
- Supplementing your degree with first-hand experience
- Networking and building contacts in the industry
- A sense of reward and achievement
- It enhances your university life and experience
- It prevents boredom and provides a sense of purpose
- Making new friends and enhancing your social life.
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:
- Visit the Beckett Sports Volunteering page on MyHub; read and agree the Terms & Conditions.
- Apply for an opportunity advertised for the programme or register your own volunteering opportunity.
- You will be notified if you have successfully secured the opportunity.
- 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!
- To be entitled to an award at the end of your volunteering experience, you must record all your hours on MyHub.
- This process must be completed for EACH opportunity you apply for.
- Be professional
- Be punctual
- Speak politely
- Dress appropriately
- Let us know if you have any problems
Don’t
- Arrange to meet with them and not show up.
- Agree to hours with no intentions of doing them.
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.
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.
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.
- 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
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:
Testimonial
“Applying for the Sports Activator role in my final year was one of the best decisions I made whilst studying at the University, as it gave me the opportunity to practice the theory I was learning in the classroom and match it to the professional standards in the work place. The experience of the Sports Office team helped enhance my capacity to learn, develop and adapt quickly to various challenging situations through regular guidance and one-to-one support. The experience I gained from the role gave me the platform and experience to go on and get a full time graduate position at Leeds City College as the Sport, Leisure & Outdoor Activity Officer.”
Karim Ibrahim, BA Sports Development Student (2013-2016)