BENEFITS OF RECRUITING YOUNG VOLUNTEERS

What can you gain by employing young people as volunteers? Think about the following contributions they could bring to your organisation:
- a wider base of volunteers to choose from
- new and fresh ideas
- new skills, particularly in IT
- an investment for the future - the volunteers of the future
- energy and enthusiasm
- volunteers who can relate to your younger club members
- young volunteers to attract younger members who may stay to become team champions
 
What do young people want from volunteering in sport?
Obstacles preventing young people from volunteering can be grouped under five main headings. The good news is that the Institute for Volunteering Research shows us that we can overcome these obstacles by listening to the things young people have said they want from their volunteering experience.

Obstacle:	Young people are unaware of the considerable personal benefits volunteering can bring to them
How to overcome:	Incentives

The demands on a young person's time are high. So, consequently, is the competition. Clubs need to be able to offer young volunteers some incentive - a reference, a qualification, training in a specific skill, or a certificate to show to prospective employers or as part of their university application. It is up to you to explain what young volunteers can expect to receive, and don't forget to mention the intangible benefits such as confidence and self-respect. Promote volunteering to young people in a way that they cannot forgo the opportunity to be involved.

Young people need to see volunteering as a vehicle to broaden their experience, learn new skills, to face new challenges and to enhance their personal records of achievement. Varying the type of work and roles will potentially extend a young person's time commitment and motivate them to do well. Adopting a team approach by getting a group of young volunteers to work on a variety of jobs could not only share responsibility and create flexibility, but could provide a much wider range of experience than a one-person-one- job approach.
How to overcome: Provide a few laughs
Whilst volunteering has its' serious side, it also has to be fun or young people will vote with their feet. Most of us prefer to work with like-minded people and have some fun now and then - volunteers are no exception. A team of young people working together will develop a social side to their voluntary involvement.

Obstacle:	Volunteering has a reputation for being badly organized
How to overcome:	Organisation

Young people want to feel that their time is being used effectively and efficiently, that they are working within a safe infrastructure and where they know what is expected of them. Too often, young volunteers are just thrown in at the deep end and left to sink or swim. They do not want to be regimented or heavily supervised but they need to know where to go for advice and support and how to take the opportunity to progress to new levels of responsibility when they are ready. A well organised system for supporting and managing volunteers is best achieved through the role of a volunteer co-ordinator and by providing proper induction training for new volunteers

Obstacle:	"Volunteering is only for white, middle-class, middle aged women  with time on their hands - not for people like me."
How to overcome:	Legitimacy

Volunteering isn't seen as 'cool' - it is often seen as 'old fashioned, philanthropic, and only to do with worthy causes'. For young people, being a 'sports volunteer' needs to be associated with a positive image.
Take a look at the way in which you promote volunteering in your club: - Is it about committees, commitment, formality and older people, or is it accessible and attractive to youngsters?- What is the average age of the volunteers in your club?- Do some people have a negative attitude to young people being given responsibility?- Are volunteers recruited by someone they can relate to?

Obstacle:	Volunteering is expensive and time-consuming
How to overcome:	Flexibility

Young people have many demands and pressures in their lives - school, exams, earning money, family and many different ways to spend their leisure time. If a club is going to benefit from some of the young person's time, it will need to be able to offer some flexibility and an element of choice.
This does not mean that young people will not commit themselves to volunteering on a regular basis. It may be that they could job share with another young person, or take on a role that doesn't require a regular time slot - for example, maintaining a database, working from home on their own computer, or organising two or three social events each year for the juniors. Clubs could organise teams of young volunteers so that the responsibility for getting the job done rests with the team, rather than on one individual.
Whilst money is an issue, if the benefits are highlighted, young people will be willing to give some time as a volunteer. The repayment of actual expenses would help to ensure that they are not out of pocket as a result of their volunteering. This good practice should be extended to all volunteers - not just the youngsters.