Where have all the volunteers gone?

Nationally we are suffering from a lack of volunteers and it is having a negative effect on many grassroots sports, not just rowing. 

There are many theories as to why this has been so noticeable of late. The Covid effect and 18 months of wet weather with cancellations due to flooding and limited water training, are two of note. So it’s not surprising many clubs have lost members in all age categories. Plus there are those who have been attracted to other sports that are not so vulnerable to prevailing weather systems.

With fewer members and the frenetic lives we all live, it is not surprising that many say they are too busy.

Those coming from school rowing and going on to university may be blissfully unaware of the situation. Their coaches and back-up team are largely employees and some may not realise that the events they compete at are manned by volunteers. But those coming from a club are all too aware that it’s the volunteers that make it all possible. 

Staging a regatta requires a huge number of volunteers to make it a successful and safe event. So as the regatta season gets into full swing, club officials are stressing on how to encourage their members into filling all the necessary roles. Failure may lead to cancellation of the event or proceeding with a skeleton team and facing unhappy competitors.

Sadly, some events will have to be cancelled. Desperate to avoid this, some committees insist every member volunteers all day and are not permitted to race, making for unhappy members and competitors being turned away for lack of opposition. Others permit members one race only on the proviso that they volunteer for the rest of the day (this includes junior parents also volunteering). 

There are long-term consequences to cancelling events – competitors try out other courses and the risk is many will not come back. Our athletes need regular events to pitch their talents against others and to rise to a greater challenge. Without the multitude of regional and national events, our athletes will miss out on valuable opportunities to test themselves, hone their skills and pitch their stamina against others.

Rowing clubs are not like leisure centres or private gyms where all the services are included in the fees. Instead, the fees can be subsidised by volunteers doing the gardening, boat maintenance, coaching, decorating, club kit, etc. That’s just the everyday activities. 

Clubs are struggling to attract volunteers to coach, committee members, even to the prime position of Captain. An option would be for clubs to increase fees to pay for coaching and other professional services, but this still leaves many vital roles vacant.

What can a club do to ensure its viability?

One controversial and desperate option is to double members fees and then discount them by 50% if a member takes up a volunteer position within the club, be it preparing press releases, building services & maintenance tasks, taking turns on the “learn to row assistant” rota or one of the more prominent roles. 

Volunteering is good for your wellbeing.

Mental health is a widespread concern and volunteering is known to aid mental health and wellbeing. So perhaps we have a solution to both issues?

It would help to pull a club together into a more mutually supportive and cohesive team, who understand their club more and gain a stronger sense of belonging. And it would make staging well manned successful events easier. 

National volunteer week is June 3 to June 9. In the long term interests of our sport, why not see what you can do to help?

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Dawn Sutton

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