Sports Volunteer
Lu Luo, MA International Human Resource Management
Why I got involved
My main reasons for joining the Sports Volunteer Programme were to meet new people and make friends outside of my postgraduate course. As an international student I wanted to get involved with the local community, communicate with local people and experience all aspects of Newcastle life. The Programme has exposed me to sides of Newcastle people and a diverse range of opportunities and experiences which my course alone would not have.
Main roles and activities
Since becoming a volunteer I have been involved in numerous activities which have opened me up to a wide range of opportunities to improve my skills and meet new people. My main roles are the running, organising and supervising of sports related events. I help ensure that the teams involved have an enjoyable and well rounded experience. The events which stand out amongst the many experiences I have had as a volunteer are the Olympics sports master class, British blind sports training event and more recently the Sports Relief challenges at the Sports Centre.
Most enjoyable aspect
I love working with the volunteer team. I have made so many friends who I would never have met through my degree. We have so much in common: we all love helping people, live for sport and love having fun. The programme is so much fun. I am so glad I got involved. It has been a brilliant experience which I would recommend to anyone interested in sport.
Most rewarding aspect
I really enjoy providing pupils with an enjoyable and exciting experience with sport and health related activities. The activities encourage people to get fit, live a more healthy and active lifestyle and to actually enjoy getting fit. It is really rewarding to see them enjoying themselves whilst exercising and taking part in the activities you have helped to organise.
Fitting it around my degree
It has been really easy to fit around my masters degree. I am very organised anyway but the volunteering is very flexible making it easy to manage around my studies. I tend to do the majority of my volunteering in my spare time, however, if there is a session I particularly wish to attend I rearrange lectures or simply excuse myself and catch up on my studies later on Blackboard.
How I've benefited
Since becoming a sports volunteer my communication skills have increased significantly. Being constantly exposed to different groups of people including local and young people has helped me to improve my English and break down language and dialect barriers. The scheme has increased my confidence. I was original nervous talking to local people, however the volunteer programme has allowed me to work on my language skills. I now feel comfortable speaking in public and initiating conversations with strangers.
Find out how you could become a sports volunteer.
