Volunteering

According to Volunteering Australia “volunteering is a reciprocal relationship – the community and individuals benefit from the efforts of volunteers, while volunteers themselves experience the satisfaction of giving, enjoy increased community involvement, learn new skills, build confidence and gain experience”.

It is estimated that 41 per cent of Tasmanians volunteer in excess of 3 million hours annually within the sport and recreation sector, with twice the number of males as females volunteering in this sector (Australia Bureau of Statistics, Report Tasmania, 1994).

Volunteer activities in sport and recreation vary from on-field roles such as coaching, umpiring and marshalling, to off-field tasks such as committee and administrative roles.

What are the benefits of volunteering?

Apart from the intrinsic benefits of helping people and communities, volunteering provides individuals with an opportunity to learn new skills, increase their self-esteem and confidence and gain an understanding of how different organisations and industries work. Volunteering can be an excellent way to assess whether an industry or organisation provides the right career.

For host organisations, volunteers can be a wonderful, additional resource, providing new and different skills.

Volunteering dos and don’ts

volunteer for activities in which you have an interest, experience or expertise
make sure you understand your roles and responsibilities as a volunteer
make sure you know to whom you are responsible and for whom you are responsible
wherever possible, take advantage of training opportunities provided by the host organisation
try your hand at new and different skills.

DON’T

overcommit yourself. Offer as much time as you are able to give comfortably and regularly.
give or lend money or accept personal gifts
allow yourself to be pressured into tasks or situations in which you feel uncomfortable.

How to protect yourself as a volunteer

While volunteering can, and should, be a rewarding experience for both the volunteer and the organisation hosting them, it is important that volunteers take appropriate action to protect themselves. The following checklist suggests ways to protect yourself.

always state the organisation that you volunteer for and provide your first name.
provide the organisation’s telephone number as a contact and referral point for further enquiries. Under no circumstances should you provide personal contact details.
if you notice anything unusual while performing your volunteering tasks, report it to the organisation and request that the matter be investigated.

Volunteers’ responsibilities

Volunteering is a reciprocal relationship between the volunteer and the host organisation. Both parties should benefit from the relationship. Volunteers also have a set of obligations that need to be fulfilled as part of their role. Organisations have a right to expect:

to receive as much effort and service from a volunteer worker as a paid one, even on a short-term basis
volunteers to undertake training as requested and to respect confidentiality as required
volunteers to be enthusiastic and committed to the work the organisation is doing
loyalty to, and constructive criticism of, the organisation
clear and open communication from volunteers
the right to monitor and direct volunteer interactions and behaviour while they are representing the organisation.