Alice has been involved in a range of volunteer roles from a young age. We caught up with her to find out more about her experiences and her advice for others considering volunteering in the future.
What was your experience of sport growing up?
I was always that ‘sporty kid’ who loved PE and sports day. I was so lucky that my parents were also really sporty and encouraged and enabled me to try many different sports.
What is your volunteering experience to date?
My volunteering journey started in high school when I was introduced to the Young Ambassador Programme in S4 by my ASC at the time, Ronan Capon. After a year as a YA, I applied and became a Platinum YA which brought ample opportunities – an example of one was completing a coaching placement at a Tennis club in Stockholm. The skills and confidence gained through my journey as a YA encouraged me to apply to sportscotland’s Young People’s Sport Panel (2018-2020). The panel was the most incredible two years and I was so lucky to have been a part of it. During my time on the panel, I was part of the women and girls working group who worked to further develop the Fit For Girls (FFG) programme and to date I am still heavily involved as a FFG Tutor. I have also been a part of The Youth Sport Trust’s Team Leader Programme. Summer of 2022 brought two new exciting and exciting opportunities - I joined Scottish ClubSport’s Young People’s Working Group and co-created and lead the Young Ambassador Conference Delivery Training ahead of all the conferences which ran across the month of September.
What inspired you to get into volunteering?
My parents inspired and encouraged me to get involved in volunteering following an injury which put me out of participating in all sport for 9 months. During my recovery I felt quite lost and flat as that was the only stage in my life that I wasn’t constantly active. I got involved with Fife Active Schools and it all took off from there. I will always be so grateful for all the support, encouragement, and opportunities from everyone at Fife AS 😊
What do you enjoy most about volunteering?
What I love most about volunteering is the opportunity to help make a difference no matter what size – it is so great being able to work alongside such like-minded people who often share the same passion and goals. I also love the feeling of volunteering with programmes/ organisations who have previously supported me as I feel I am able to give back a little.
What advice would you give to others looking to get involved in volunteering?
My piece of advice would be to absolutely get involved in anything you feel passionate about. Volunteering is far greater than just ‘giving up a few hours of your time’ – it is the opportunity to work with so many people you probably wouldn’t cross paths with otherwise, have a voice in decisions made and have access to ample new and exciting opportunities as new doors open.