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Volunteering

Team

Last Man Stands Volunteer Awards

Our Last Man Stands Volunteer of the Year and Young Volunteer of the Year awards recognise the amazing work done by volunteers across the country in making our cricket clubs central to their communities. The awards are presented at the annual Cricket Scotland Awards Night.

Why volunteer?

Volunteering in any capacity is a great thing. If you would like to volunteer at a cricket club, with a local school, or for international fixtures and events, please contact Cricket Scotland's Workforce Development Manager David Bordes at davidbordes@cricketscotland.com

Benefits of volunteering

Volunteering is one of the most rewarding things you can do; thinking about how you want to benefit from volunteering is a good start to finding an opportunity that's right for you.

• Gain confidence. Volunteering can help you gain confidence by giving you the chance to try something new and build a real sense of achievement.

• Make a difference. Volunteering can have a real and valuable positive affect on people, communities and society in general.

• Meet people. Volunteering can help you meet different kinds of people and make new friends.

• Be part of a community. Volunteering can help you feel part of something outside your friends and family.

• Learn new skills. Volunteering can help you learn new skills, gain experience and sometimes even qualifications.

• Take on a challenge. Through volunteering you can challenge yourself to try something different, achieve personal goals, practice using your skills and discover hidden talents.

• Have fun! Most volunteers have a great time, regardless of why they do it.

There is immense joy and a sense of pride in volunteering so get involved today.

Who can volunteer?

Anyone can! You don’t have to be an ex-player or a mum or a dad of a promising player; if you are prepared to give-up a little of your time, you can volunteer!

You might be an ex-player, you might be a parent/grandparent but you might just as well be a student looking for work experience to bolster a CV, or a retired bank manager/accountant who can put their bookkeeping skills to use!

All clubs could benefit from the knowledge and skills that people from their community can bring.

If you are a club looking to recruit volunteers it is always good practice to include a role description when advertising any opportunity. People like to know what`s expected of them and what the commitment will be.

Organisations who can help recruit cricket volunteers

There are many organisations dedicated to supporting the voluntary community, which means that cricket clubs can get lots of additional help.

Volunteer centres can be an excellent source of help for your club when you are looking to find new volunteers. They can extend the range of people who volunteer in sport and may well be able to identify someone with specific skills who would not necessarily have found their way into sport or your club. Volunteer Scotland is an organisation dedicated to linking-up those who want to volunteer to organisations that need them - Volunteer Scotland

Many cities, towns and regions often have local organisations and charities which can help recruit and place volunteers for your club.

Recruit, reward, retain

Saying thank you to your cricket volunteers can really help to make people feel appreciated and part of the club, team or league. Yet before you remember to thank them, remember to be clear what they are being asked to do. Don’t overload them –Bite-size is best!

There are a number of ways to reward and recognise those volunteers who have gone above and beyond. These can be formal volunteering awards through local authority presentations or something as simple as a thank you card each year. The key thing is to make sure you do something.

Cricket Scotland’s Last Man Stands Volunteer of the Year and Young Volunteer of the Year awards recognises and rewards volunteers; these are a celebration of the efforts of Scotland's cricket clubs and volunteers, and provide a great opportunity to recognise the often unsung heroes that make our game tick. The two awards are presented at the annual Cricket Scotland Awards Night.

More ideas for rewarding volunteers

Many volunteers do not seek awards and the spotlight. However, there are a number of small ways you can show your appreciation. Below are a few ideas:

• Reduced membership fees

• Club clothing

• Subsidising course costs

• Membership of regional/national associations

• End of season presentation evening

• Supporting a student through a nationally recognised volunteer award (e.g. Community Achievement Award, Saltire Award, Duke of Edinburgh, etc.)

Safeguarding and Protecting Children

It is vital that anyone you recruit to do regulated work with children and/or vulnerable groups has PVG Scheme membership. For detailed information regarding child protection and PVG please go to the 'Safeguarding' section.

Useful Websites for Volunteering Support