Volunteers are essential to the success and sustainability of rugby clubs. The friendly and welcoming atmosphere of rugby union leads many people to say ‘we’re more like a family’ and this is demonstrated by the time, willingness and commitment that volunteers dedicate to the game, from coaches and referees to committee members, parent helpers and many more. Our vision is for Rugby Union to have an enthusiastic, motivated, well-trained and effective volunteer workforce working for the benefit of all aspects of the game.
What does the Club Volunteer Coordinator (CVC) do?
Our current CVC is Gerry Mansfield of Barking RFC. His role is:
To promote the benefits of volunteering, ensuring new volunteers feel welcome and existing volunteers feel valued
To ensure that, at the heart of the club, there is a group of people who are in the right place at the right time with the right skills to enable the club to achieve its goals
To have a direct link with the Constituent Body and the RFU, providing two-way communication about volunteering matters.
To network with other CVCs, sharing good practice relating to volunteers from across the sport.
Clubs to should have a club volunteer Coordinator who can:
Raise the profile of volunteering within the club as a desirable activity
Provides one dedicated, ‘go-to’ person in the club for volunteering matters
Help to ensure enough volunteers are recruited to cover all club requirements
Plan in advance to make it easier for busy people to volunteer
help produce a succession plan to sustain/develop the club’s activities
A Club Volunteer Coordinator will be able to coordinate volunteer recognition which means more people are thanked and feel appreciated
An active Club VC can link directly with the CB Volunteer and RFU support staff to outside partners and plan actions and develop their club’s volunteer needs.
Bear in mind that One size does not fit all.
You don’t have to call this role ‘Club Volunteer Coordinator’. You can choose a title that you feel best suits your club structure (please note that, for ease, the RFU will refer to the role as Club Volunteer Coordinator).
The key is that the functions (recruitment, development, retention & recognition of volunteers)are covered effectively in your club.
Sharing one role between several people is a great way of making volunteering roles more
manageable. This approach can also encourage more people to get involved and may lead to a
greater total number of volunteering hours given to sustain and grow the game.
Different approaches to consider
Some clubs have a single CVC
Some large clubs have a team of CVCs working together to carry-out the role effectively,
In other clubs, the role is divided and shared with other roles for example:
o The Club President leads recognition;
o the Chair leads recruitment and,
o the Assistant Chair leads retention & development of volunteers.
The concepts are different in each club and the Constituent Body is here to help each and every one of our volunteers achieve their true potential. Volunteering is at the very heart of Rugby Union, is fun, enjoyable and rewarding.
If you are interested in Volunteering at County, club, School, College or University further in formation can be obtained through the County office on 01708 474425 or by e-mail to Gerry Mansfield