Lucy Palfreyman, 18
Main volunteering roles: Swimming coach, part of the Executive Committee at Retford Swimming Club and member of the ASA National Youth Forum.
What is it?
The ASA National Youth Forum is a group of proactive ASA volunteers who strive to promote positive change within aquatics. As part of the Youth Forum, our role is to represent the interests of young people participating or volunteering within Aquatics. The forum works together as a committee to support the ASA to look at ways of encouraging young volunteers to become involved in all aspects of aquatic sport, but also ways to keep them actively involved.
Volunteering is incredibly rewarding and enjoyable.
Who are the members?
The forum, chaired by Oliver Hooper, a PHD Student at Loughborough University consists of 14 members, aged between 16 and 25. Each of the members has excelled in the aquatic disciplines and has shown dedication to volunteering across a wide range of areas. The Forum is devoted to increasing the awareness of the need for volunteers to allow sport to be successful.
What can you do?
As a young person, it’s important to realise that there are so many ways which you can get involved with volunteering in aquatics, it doesn’t always have to be teaching or coaching - for example, you don’t need any qualifications to distribute drinks around officials or help out with heat managing at a swimming gala!
It is a valuable experience which you can put on job and university applications in the future.
Clubs, counties and regions will always need volunteers to help them run their events, so let them know that you’re interested, as it is a valuable experience which you can put on job and university applications in the future. Volunteering is incredibly rewarding and enjoyable, and can sometimes lead to further opportunities at a National level.
Volunteers are an integral part of all sports. Any help which can you can give your club, county or region, will always be received gladly. The ASA National Youth Forum aims to aid you in your volunteering journey to make it as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. To contact the National Youth Forum, you can email or find us on Twitter at @ASAYouthForum.
If you have any questions regarding volunteering, please contact the ASA Volunteer Engagement Team by email or speak to someone at your club.
Also click here to check out what volunteer training is available to you.