Off The Water - Episode 11 - Volunteering

Off The Water is back for 2021 with a new season of conversations which affect the boating community in Scotland.

Hosts Nikki Stewart and Jack Mitchell share an interview which gets to heart of why we volunteer and about the ethos and culture of our volunteers. RYA Scotland are fortunate as we have a volunteer run board with one person in particular who works in the voluntary sector and has agreed to share their experiences of volunteering.

Helen Keenan, is head of Volunteering for Marie Curie UK and she brings unique insights from her career in volunteer management. Helen joined RYA Scotland as a Non Executive Director for Volunteering in 2019, providing a voice on the board with genuine expertise in this area that is fundamental for our sport and activities. While the only boat she has been on is a ferry, her perspective is challenging and very welcome as we move through big challenges for the voluntary sector.

This pod is aimed at raising the conversation on volunteering to support clubs and organisations looking for advice and in showcasing the endless impact volunteering has on our community and the people involved. The hosts have both been volunteers and it has developed them as people and provided an opportunity for their learning. We hear about the culture behind volunteering, why do we do it and investigate the changes in society related to volunteering and hopefully leave our listeners with some tips and tools to try.

RYA Scotland has been developing a Volunteer Development Framework to assist volunteer led clubs and organisations to create a more sustainable approach to volunteering. It also highlights to volunteers that their actions are as important as the boating we all enjoy. The framework is in the final stages and will be available in the coming months as a practical tool that helps shape the questions you should be asking when it comes to volunteering.

The RYA tackle the reoccurring challenge and issue for clubs, particularly with regards to supporting membership growth - not enough volunteers! The insights suggests 52% of RYA Affiliated organisations report lack of volunteers as being a primary challenge to their growth and many reporting a small number of volunteers doing the bulk of the work. Hear about the findings of the research and also some experiences of clubs who have managed to successfully increase the number of volunteers below.

https://www.rya.org.uk/programmes/Pages/future-webinars.aspx#4

RYA Scotland offer a range of volunteer opportunities below.

https://www.rya.org.uk/scotland/about-us/Pages/volunteers.aspx

sportscotland also offer workshops on volunteering available below.

https://sportscotland.org.uk/coaching/cpd-and-training/volunteer-management/

Finally you can stay in touch with all the latest news from RYA Scotland via our website, http://www.rya.org.uk/scotland and of course, across our social media channels @ryascotland