The Orienteering Foundation has just launched a survey into volunteering in orienteering. This survey aims to gather data and inform future actions to help recruit, train, and develop our volunteers and make their jobs easier and more enjoyable.
The survey has the full support of British Orienteering and all UK orienteers (whether currently volunteering or not) are being encouraged to complete it.
The deadline to complete the survey is Monday 28 April 2025 and one lucky respondent will secure themselves a £200 voucher for outdoor kit to be used at www.sportsshoes.com. There are also six other randomly awarded prizes of Kickback coffee bags.
As you will well know, clubs are heavily dependent on volunteers to run a club and its events. Below are just some of the roles available:
· Committee members
· Other roles which may not be on the Club Committee
· Organisers
· Planners
· Coaches
· Event-day officials
· Safeguarding and welfare
· First aiders
Despite this dependency, there is little or no data available at club, association or national level on:
· The actual amount of volunteering being done
· Reasons why individuals volunteer (or why they don’t)
· Issues volunteers face and what they enjoy/don’t enjoy
· Any challenges that clubs face in recruiting and retaining volunteers
This lack of data prevents evidence-based tackling of any problems.
Please complete this survey via the QR Code above or this LINK! If they get enough responses, they will provide LVO with valuable data on volunteering within our own club.
Any questions about the survey should be directed to the Orienteering Foundation at survey@orienteeringfoundation.org.uk.
Thank you in advance for supporting us to gain a better understanding of volunteering within orienteering.