VOLUNTEERS
All people who assist in the running our swimming club and galas are volunteers (not a lot of people know that!) and Shiverers currently has around 60 people involved in supporting its operation.
Our volunteers are as varied as they are committed to the club. Some are parents who want to help the club that helps their children, or get involved in the Shiverers community. Others swam for the club when they were younger, or have been involved in sport (some at international and Olympic level), and recognize the vital role volunteers play within British sport in developing talent. And quite a few have children who left the club for University, yet they still continue to volunteer for us.
One thing they do have in common is that they are all busy people, ranging from teachers to hairdressers, data analysts to directors.
So how do they find the time to help out?
Well for many, they spend so much time at the pools with their children, they’d rather be doing something productive. For others, it’s a way of getting the most out of the club:
“It’s vital to be part of your children’s hobbies to help them get the most from them.”
“I like being an ‘active’ parent, not just sitting on the side every time (although it is nice to watch one session a week). I like being helpful/feeling useful. If every parent said no to helping then there wouldn’t be a club, so it’s nice to be able to contribute.”
As a volunteer at Shiverers you’ll be part of a friendly and enthusiastic team, whose aim is to enable all children to enjoy swimming, reach their sporting potential and gain essential social skills.
Please consider joining us. We have a wide range of roles to fill, from administration tasks to poolside and gala roles. No swimming expertise is required and training is provided.
Have a look at our committee page to see who does what currently. If you’re interested in joining our growing ranks of poolside officials, our volunteer roles for galas summary sets out the training pathways and also explains the recent ASA changes that require more volunteer officials at every licensed gala. You can also find out more from Sussex County ASA about roles and training.
You might also like to take a look at the comments below from some of our volunteers.
To join Shiverers volunteers, please contact [email protected], for the volunteer co-ordinator.
Roles we need to fill urgently:
Assistant Coaches
Timekeepers
Membership Table - we need one or two people to work on the table to support members with information about the club. This would be needed every Friday 6-7pm and 7-8pm.
We asked our volunteers what they would say to someone considering helping out, here’s what they told us:
“It’s great fun. Everyone is so friendly. And there are many ways to help out. You will enjoy meeting new people and helping to make this the best swimming club for our children.”
“Have a go, it’s great fun. You don’t need to be swimmer yourself – you just need enthusiasm!
“The Shiverers team is friendly and helpful – even if you have no or very little experience. The kids and the club all benefit if everyone gives a little time – and it keeps you involved with your own children – and appreciative of the hard work they’re putting in.”
“Shiverers is a fantastic club, there are lots of volunteering opportunities available, and it’s great to be part of something which helps children achieve, whether it’s learning to swim for the first time to competing at nationals.”
“A club is only as good the people behind it. Help to lighten the load by just doing a little. Your children will benefit more than you realise.”
“Having never done anything like it before and not really knowing what to do, the idea of helping poolside was daunting at first. But the coaches help you learn what to look for and you get to know the children and the sets they do fairly quickly. I help at one or two sessions a week and watch at the other so I get to be busy sometimes and chat with the other parents too. It’s the best of both worlds.”
“If you are able to give just an hour a week or even just help one time (such as the club gala) then please do, even if it does seem like a minor job, as Tesco says ‘every little helps’. It’s a great feeling knowing you are helping make the club such a great place for so many children.”
“It’s a great feeling to know that I’m doing my bit to make the club better for all the kids who train so hard. I also now have an appreciation of what is involved in running a sports club and how much time and effort some inspiring people are willing to give to make it happen.”
“Go for it. The club wouldn’t exist without its volunteers and it’s a great feeling to know that even doing something small will help make the Shiverers a better club for our children.”
