Case Study - One Sports Volunteer's Story
Roy Crampton has been a dedicated volunteer with swimming clubs for twenty eight years now. Roy first got
involved with Kimberley swimming club when his children were little and began swimming lessons. Roy started
out just watching from the stands while his children were at the club, then began volunteering as a poolside
helper, so that he was doing something useful while he was there. Roy then progressed through a variety
of roles with various swimming clubs such as events organisation, teaching, coaching, team selection, and
lifeguarding. He has gained lots of experience, skills and training through his volunteering and has achieved
awards in many areas including teaching and lifesaving.
After volunteering at club level Roy decided he'd like to progress into the management of swimming at county
level and so became a member of the Executive Board of Notts Amateur Swimming Association. Roy has undertaken
a variety of roles with the ASA, including lots of work on sub-committees and being President of Notts ASA
for a while. Roy still volunteers for both Notts ASA (including undertaking the role of their Volunteer
Co-ordinator) and Northern Swimming Club and finds it really rewarding. He feels that the main benefits
for him of volunteering are "friendship and fun" with "a good friendly crowd", who all support each other.
Roy feels it would be virtually impossible to run the swimming clubs without lots of willing volunteers,
as the clubs just wouldn't be able to afford to pay all the staff they'd need. The fact that so many swimming
clubs run in Nottinghamshire means that on a Saturday night upwards of 800 local young people can be involved
in swimming galas, meaning they are spending their free time in healthy activity on a regular basis.
So, if you want to volunteer in sport, contact the Volunteer Centre on:
Tel: 0115 934 8400 or e-mail: volunteercentre@nottinghamcvs.co.uk