Where/how to become a volunteer

In your area

Within your local area you are likely to find volunteering opportunities in the following areas:

• Active Schools
• Clubs
• Community Sport Hubs
• Local authority and leisure trusts
• University/College

Active Schools

There are Active Schools teams across the country who run sports clubs before school, during lunchtimes and after school.

Active Schools are always looking for volunteers to help them run sessions and organise the clubs for them. In fact, over 16,000 volunteers have supported Active Schools in the last ten years!

Active Schools in your area - contact your local Active Schools team to find out more and get involved!

Community sport hubs

Community sport hubs are based in local facilities such as sport centres, community centres, club pavilions, the natural environment and/or schools. They bring local people together and provide a home for local clubs and sports organisations.

They will also provide information, support, and advice on a wide range of sports and physical activities, making it easier for local people to get involved and engage in a more active and healthier lifestyle.

The specifics of each hub and what it offers will vary according to local needs and resources.

• Find your local hub
• Case studies of community sport hubs in action

Local authority and leisure trusts

Your local authority sport development team or leisure trust may advertise volunteer opportunities - check their websites to find out more.

• Search & join current volunteer opportunities — Glasgow Life

Volunteer Scotland

Volunteer Scotland has an array of resources and information about volunteering as well as opportunities to get involved.

• Opportunities

University/college sport 

There are lots of opportunities to volunteer whilst at university or college. Student sports clubs are run for students by students, and you can run for positions at the club’s Annual General Meeting.

Scottish Student Sport are the overarching body for student sport in Scotland and they post various voluntary vacancies on their website to get involved in student sport at a higher level, if you’re a student involved in sport, why not apply?

You can find out more here - Vacancies - Scottish Student Sport

There are many different volunteer roles out there – there really is something for everyone! 

Where do I start?

If you have never volunteered before then it might appear daunting as to where to even start! We have compiled a top tips list to get you started.

1. Find out about different roles available

Roles in sport go way beyond coaching, so if you think coaching might not be for you there are still plenty of ways to get involved and use your skills. Have a look at some of the roles below and see what might be best for you!

2. Discover local clubs in your area

You might already know of clubs in your area, but there might be more than you are aware of, in a wider variety of sports than you realised.

If you are looking for a specific sport, the governing body may publish a list of affiliated clubs. You might be more interested in finding out what's in your area across several sports - if this is the case your local authority or leisure trust may have a directory of clubs in the area. 

Other options are looking for your local community sport hub which may contain a number of clubs in one place and finally your area's Active Schools team may be looking for volunteers to get involved in after school clubs. 

3. Understand your skills

You might have skills that you didn’t realise would be important in sport. 

You don't even necessarily need to love participating in sport, there are many supporting volunteer roles that are essential to make sport happen.

4. Talk to other volunteers

You may want to speak to current volunteers about their experiences and the best way to do this is to contact local clubs and ask.

Alternatively, you can read through some of our case studies to learn more about different volunteer roles and see what might be of interest to you!

5. Look for specific opportunities

You might already know what you'd like to get involved in. We have a list of current volunteering opportunities on this website that is updated daily.

You can also visit Volunteer Scotland's website where you can have specific opportunities sent straight to your inbox.

Volunteer roles in sport

There are many different roles you could do in sport.

This list is not exhaustive and there might be many more roles your local club have available, but it will give you a flavour of the kind of roles that are out there and whether they are for you.

Find out what you could do for sport and become a volunteer!