As part of the WRU's ongoing commitment to club rugby, they want to support clubs to recruit more volunteers effectively.
To all WRU clubs
As part of our ongoing commitment to club rugby, the WRU wants to support clubs to recruit more volunteers effectively. To achieve this we have put in place a programme to support clubs to identify volunteer requirements and recruit individuals to these roles. We will also be working to pursue recruitment through organisations external to clubs.
Below for your attention are the following documents:-
1. An introduction to Welsh Rugby roots – this sets out the aims and expectations of the programme
2. A Club Registration form – if your club would like to pot in, please complete and return
3. Anticipated questions – this document aims to answer any questions a club may have. However if you have a question which is unanswered, please contact us.
Please share these documents with the whole club. We appreciate that the other sections may have recruitment needs and want to engage in the programme even if the senior section does not have recruitment needs.
Next Steps
· Between now and the 20th February
Take a look at your club and identify the vacancies as well an identify an individual who can lead on volunteer recruitment
· By the 20th February
Opt in to Welsh Rugby Roots by completing the registration form and returning it to ccoleman@wru.wales
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you
Thanks
Claire Coleman | Club Operations Advisor - Volunteer Support & Recruitment
Welsh Rugby Union Group / Grwp Undeb Rygbi Cymru
National Centre of Excellence, Vale Resort, Hensol
Phone / Ffôn: +44 (0) 2920 822438 | Mobile / Ffôn Symudol: +44 (0) 7764 922852
Email/ Ebost: CColeman@wru.wales
Welsh Rugby Roots
Introduction
Rugby clubs in Wales have stated they need more volunteers. As part of our ongoing commitment to club rugby, the WRU wants to support clubs to recruit more volunteers effectively. The programme will tackle recruitment in two ways:-
• Club led recruitment – using electronic templates which can be personalised by the clubs and generic hard copy posters for display in their local area, the WRU will support clubs to target their current members and those associated to the club through participation. • WRU led recruitment – o Ensuring recruitment is accessible to the general supporter / member of the public through the website o Making connections with partners and official sponsors to target staff and customers. o Connect to other voluntary organisations who can support volunteer recruitment
To ensure volunteer recruitment has an identity, we will be using Welsh Rugby Roots as a programme name.
Being a member of Welsh Rugby Roots
Clubs will be asked to nominate an individual to lead on volunteer engagement. We are going to refer to this as volunteer coordination / volunteer coordinator. We will hold the details of this individual and on receiving an application from a potential volunteer, it is these details which will be passed on. We will also contact this individual as a follow up to any referral.
From the outset we want to ensure that recruitment is successful and so clubs need to give careful consideration to who they will nominate to coordinate the club’s engagement. Based on the current responsibilities of Senior Section Club Secretaries, we would not recommend that this volunteer takes the lead on coordination. This is an opportunity for another club member to step up. Clubs also need to consider where the majority of volunteer vacancies are. If they are predominately at junior level, we recommend that the coordinator to come from the junior section as we want to avoid passing a potential volunteer from pillar to post.
We are also encouraging clubs to ensure that all sections of the club are aware of the opportunity to opt in. It maybe that the senior section has sufficient volunteers however the junior / youth / Womens section may have volunteer vacancies. If as a club you have any vacancies across multiple sections, there is the option for the club to nominate more than one coordinator.
If your club already has an individual in place who support the recruitment and placement of volunteers, this individuals would be the natural choice as a contact for us.
Tell us what you want
Once the club has decided to opt in, you have the opportunity to tell us about your vacancies. Vacancies may have a specific title such as team manager or it may be a general volunteer recruitment. If it is a general role, we still need some idea of what the role will involve. Clubs who have specific roles will be given priority on volunteer placements.
With specific roles, we want to ensure we have a job description. We have published a template of job descriptions in the WRU Club Manual and these are avaible electronically for clubs. As a club you can add duties to these job descriptions. However we will review any amendments to ensure they are reasonable and appropriate. Clubs can also remove details from the job descriptions.
Clubs will be asked on a regular basis to confirm or otherwise that the vacancies we hold are still valid.
Providing your club with support
To effectively recruit volunteers we want to ensure that clubs have the structures and processes in place to support recruitment and volunteers. We also want to work with clubs on a range of tasks to ensure the club can recruit and support volunteers effectively. Below are a few example of the support we are aiming to offer:-
1. Volunteer Coordinators – volunteer coordinators will have the opportunity to attend a Sport Wales Give to Gain workshop. This will give volunteer coordinators a good grounding in understanding the motivations of volunteers and how we can retain them in rugby.
2. Action Plan Investment – In partnership with Sport Wales, clubs who opt in will be eligible to apply for investment to deliver an Action Plan for their proposed volunteering recruitment or retention activities. The WRU will support volunteer coordinators with completing this process.
3. Access to good practice examples – we have clubs who have developed good practice in relation to recruitment and volunteer support and this knowledge can be shared with other clubs. We also want to work with clubs to ensure the club has the correct processes to maximise the opportunities to recruit, support and retain volunteers
4. Email templates and posters – advertising the club is recruiting is important and we will support clubs by providing email templates and posters.
Anticipated questions
Below are some anticipated questions….however if your club has any further questions, please let us know:
Why are we being asked to opt in?
Being part of the programme does come with some expectations on the club side. We feel these expectations are reasonable and will help clubs to create a sustainable volunteer recruitment drive in the club.
We also want to ensure we refer potential volunteers to clubs who are ready to welcome them. By opting in, your club is indicating that it’s open to potential volunteers and is ready to work with them.
How long are we opting in for?
Clubs opt in to the Welsh Rugby Roots programme if they want support with recruitment. The initial opt in will last for the remainder of this season and will reopen for the new season. Clubs who participated this season will be asked to confirm they want to remain part of the programme and those who were not part will be invited to opt in.
Why do we need a coordinator?
Recruiting is not a one off event and needs attention throughout the season. A coordinator will be well placed to keep an eye on the club’s recruitment needs and update the WRU as well as ensuring the club regularly updates its audience on potential opportunities.
We also want to ensure that potential volunteers have a positive experience when they first join the club. This is an important element of retaining them at the club. By having a coordinator, this individual will be able to make contact with potential volunteers through email and also meet them at the club on their first visit.
Why do we need to state what the volunteers will do?
Recruiting volunteers is easier if we can be specific about what that role involves and the expectation from the individual. By being specific about the role we remove the barrier of the unknown.
Clubs often say they want more volunteers but can struggle to answer the question of ‘for what’. By sitting down assessing the club’s needs and creating a recruitment list, it can be used to advertise roles, inform potential volunteers and ensure the WRU is always aware of what the club is seeking. As we’ve said, recruitment should not be a one off exercise but an ongoing process.
Clubs who do not have specific roles can be part of the programme if they are open to new volunteers. We would class this as general recruitment. However, a club who is interested in general recruitment cannot expect a new volunteer to take on a specific role such as committee member. General recruitment is aimed more at roles around teams such as parent helpers, cooks etc.
Why have we been asked whether we have a database?
We are aiming for a programme which looks at recruitment on two fronts. One of these is the club based recruitment. For the club to advertise roles effectively, we need to establish if the club has an up to date database with contact details. If this is not in place, it would be a priority for the club. We also need to understand the level of data being held. For example if the recruitment requirement is an under 12’s team manager, the most obvious group of people to target are those involved in the under 12’s through their children playing. Does the club’s database allow the club to filter its data to this level?
An up to date club database is an essential part of running a club so this is good practice for the club beyond recruitment needs.
What happens when we receive a volunteer referral?
We don’t want to make the process too daunting for potential volunteers so they will be asked a simple set of questions to establish what their interests are. Some roles, due to their nature, may require the club to hold an informal interview with the potential volunteer. However this is at the discretion of the club.
A club will not be obligated to accept a volunteer. However, the club has to meet with the volunteer first and provide a reason to the WRU as to why they are not accepted by the club.
Why do we need to provide a reason for not accepting a volunteer?
We acknowledge that volunteers need to fit the club and vice versa so there will be occasions when the volunteer and the club do not match. However, that same volunteer may fit at another club. To manage the placement of volunteers, feedback is essential to avoid passing volunteers around several clubs.
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