Volunteering

As England’s oldest swimming club, City of Brighton and Hove Swimming Club is proud of its strong community spirit. Our sessions, galas and events only happen because of the time and support given by our volunteers. If you can spare even an hour, you make this possible. No experience is needed for most roles. Training and support are always provided, and commitment is as flexible as your week allows.

Volunteering is a great way to support your swimmer and play an active part in club life. It’s also one of the easiest ways to meet other parents and carers and feel part of the wider club community.

Many of our volunteers say the same thing, once you’ve done it once, you actually look forward to the next one.

We regularly need support with:

* Officiating and timekeeping
* Marshals and stewards
* Team Manager support
* Poolside helpers
* Registration
* Computers or announcing at home galas
* Event setup and pack down

Whether you can help at one gala, support occasionally, or become a regular volunteer, all help is greatly appreciated.

If you’re a swimming parent, you’ll already spend a lot of time at meets. Becoming an official gives you a proper insight into how meets are run, something to do while your son or daughter isn’t swimming, and yes, usually a good supply of free sweets.

From the club’s side, we need a pool of officials so we can run our own meets. You don’t have to officiate at other clubs’ meets if you don’t want to, though some away meets now ask for officials before our swimmers can take part.

No prior knowledge of swimming rules is needed to start training. All you need is a clipboard, a stopwatch, a pen and some enthusiasm. You’ll attend an induction session, then complete a series of practical sessions recorded in a workbook. Aside from the Referee course, there are no written exams.

We know people have busy lives, so volunteering does not need to be a major commitment. Even helping at one or two sessions a year makes a real difference.

Some roles, particularly poolside ones, require the relevant checks and safeguarding requirements in line with Swim England guidance. We will support you through this process if you would like to take on a poolside role.

Galas only happen with the help of parents and volunteers. If you would like to volunteer or find out more, please contact:

Clare McKenna clare@bhswimming.com

We would love to welcome more parents and supporters to our volunteer team.