Leadership Archives - Sport & Physical Activity

Volunteer of the month: Kate Hiley

Emily Halsall

March 25, 2020

Our volunteer of the month for March is Kate Hiley! She has been volunteering at Seacroft hospital running sports sessions for patients struggling with mental health.

Which volunteering programme are you on & what does your role involve?

I am involved in the Gryphons in the Community programme, specifically as a ward activity volunteer at Recovery College. This is a project at Seacroft Hospital where volunteers go onto one of their low secure mental health units to lead weekly sports sessions for service users. We currently lead fun football, basketball, tennis & badminton sessions on the men’s ward.

How much time do you commit to volunteering per week and how do you manage this alongside your studies?

One and a half hours a week on a rota basis (usually bi-weekly) – the sessions run on a Wednesday afternoon outside of teaching hours so it is easy to fit around my studies as long as a I am back to the library after!

What made you want to volunteer?

Previous voluntary experience has shown me the rewards to be gained are well worth the time and effort you give. Knowing you’re making a positive impact on a group, whilst learning so much about yourself and building leadership and communication skills is amazing.

What is the best thing about volunteering?

Seeing the impact you make on others and the development over time of individuals’ confidence and self-esteem. Working alongside other passionate volunteers helps you to bring out the best in yourself and others as well.

What are the challenges?

One of the major challenges is the unpredictability of the sessions on a week to week basis; having to learn to be adaptive and think on your feet in order to make sure you take into account the groups ideas to keep them engaged. But this is a skill that is so important in other aspects of life so I am grateful to have been able to develop that through volunteering.

Would you recommend volunteering to others?

Couldn’t recommend it enough!

How does it feel to win Volunteer of the Month?

Very flattering! You don’t really start off volunteering for the praise or recognition but its lovely that others can see the passion and enthusiasm you have for what you do.

‘Kate has been a really enthusiastic and committed volunteer on our Recovery College programme – she is always super energetic and professional which is really appreciated by staff. This was a brand new programme this year so the volunteers were taking a step into the unknown! They have all done an amazing job and really exceeded our expectations. The service users and NHS absolutely love them and the impact they have had in a really short amount of time should not be underestimated’. – Suzzi Garnett, Sports Volunteering Officer

If you are interested in volunteering next year check out all of our opportunities.

Why Would You Volunteer?

Emily Halsall

February 24, 2020

Hi! My name is Nicola and I am the Sports Development Assistant (volunteer) here at Leeds Sport! Whilst I am new to the role and the Leeds Sport team, I am not new to volunteering. Over the last five years I have dedicated over 800 hours to volunteering within the Watersports Sector.

My volunteering journey started off in 2015 when I was sailing at my local club in Manchester. I decided that I wanted to get more involved with the running of the club and was given a few jobs to do each week to help out, including helping to rig the boats and launch them. I really enjoyed this and decided I wanted to become an instructor, but I couldn’t pay for the course fees and so I made an agreement with the centre that if they pay for the course, I will continue to volunteer my time as an Instructor. My experiences grew from there and in 2016 I was awarded the Manchester Sport Young Volunteer of the Year for my dedication to volunteering within the sport sector, alongside my studies.

I continued to volunteer for the club and moved my way up the committee from Social & Events Officer, to Vice Chairperson and now to Commodore. In 2018 I won the inaugural Panerai Challenger Trophy for my ability to use sailing and windsurfing to overcome difficulties in my life, which led to a £5000 grant to go towards my training and equipment and £10,000 for my club. Now I am a Senior Instructor in Sailing, Windsurfing and Powerboating.

Although winning awards and improving my CV have both been great outcomes from my volunteer work, it’s not really what drives me to keep doing it. The connections that you build with people and seeing that you are making a change in someone’s life through what you’re doing are enough to keep me motivated and enjoying what I do.

Volunteering isn’t always a walk in the park, like with any ‘job’ it can come with its own challenges. For me it was the competition for time between my studies and volunteering and finding a balance, but I found doing volunteering little and often meant that I could manage my studies, whilst still having fun from the volunteering and sports. You just have to find a balance that works for you.

I always recommend that everyone gives volunteering a go because the skills that you develop from it and the opportunities presented are invaluable and not to mention, you’ll have a great time doing it too!

I hope to bring my past experiences to the role and help to improve offerings around campus!

If you are interested in the Sports Development Assistant post or any other of our volunteering roles, find out more on our website.

Become a Media Assistant for Leeds Sport!

Madeline Sherratt

February 14, 2020

The role of a Leeds Sport Media Assistant is exciting, varied and flexible. It opens the door to opportunities which are shaped towards your interests and skills you wish to develop. In the role, activities stretch from social media coverage of Varsity to writing blog posts about sport initiatives in Leeds such as Goodgym. It’s a really rewarding scheme and a great way to develop employability skills such as leadership and communication.

ELLIE: Social Media Assistant

I applied to the Media Assistant role because I intend to go into a marketing career and wanted more experience. My previous marketing roles have been in social media marketing and market research. I wanted to build on this experience in a new industry context. I’m interested in going into a sports marketing career but did not have any experience in this industry. Therefore I thought the role would be a great way to develop my understanding of sports marketing.

I really appreciate the flexibility of the scheme, both in terms of the role and time commitment. I have been able to mould the role to suit areas that I would like to get more experience in. For example, this semester I will be learning more about the Sports Colours Awards, which is a big sports event on campus. Last semester I focused more on social media for a variety of different events such as the Parkrun. This flexibility has allowed me to gain experience in areas that I wanted to develop, whilst also developing other crucial employability skills such as communication. The scheme requires around two hours of work a week during term time. On the whole, it is extremely flexible around your degree.

I’ve really benefited from the scheme so far, not only have I developed my skill set which I have found really useful when applying for graduate roles, but I have really enjoyed being involved in such a wide variety of sports opportunities throughout campus.

MADDY: News and Blog assistant

As an aspiring journalist, the role of the media assistant really appealed to me. I wanted to diversify my time between academic writing, keeping active and writing news and blogs. In the past, I’ve worked with financial news organisations and write regular blogs on issues of current affairs and human interest. However, I wanted to develop knowledge and skills in a new field whilst also gaining reputable writing skills for my year-in-industry and future graduate role. The voluntary nature of the role is incredibly rewarding as both others and yourself benefit from the work you produce. I’ve had the opportunity to interview Olympic hopefuls and inspiring coaches. It’s fascinating to hear and convey stories from the universities key role models in sport.

Adapting my writing style from academic essays to journalistic articles has been a real learning curb for me. I’ve really benefited from learning about digital platforms such as WordPress. I’m also excited to create a video with Ellie for the Leeds Sport Volunteering campaign this month. As well as this, I’ve gained a valuable set of skills ranging from communication, leadership, teamwork and initiative. The role is very flexible around your degree which avoids lots of stress when it comes to managing essay deadlines. This role will also give you direct access to societies and you can assist them with media enquiries.

I would highly recommend this role as it has allowed me to be recognised by other journalists and business professionals on platforms such as LinkedIn and it also provides you with free access to the Edge gym – one of the many advantages of a volunteering role.

Check out all of our volunteering opportunities for the 2020/21 academic year, including the Leeds Sport Media Assistant, here.

FREE Seminar: Changing the Game – The Leadership Challenge

Emily Halsall

October 10, 2019

Sport & Physical Activity have partnered with highly respected leaders in business and sport to bring you a free seminar on Friday 15 November. The seminar, hosted in the Maurice Keyworth Lecture Theatre (University of Leeds Business School) brings together individuals, who in their own unique way have not only improved the performance of a number of organisations and teams, they fundamentally changed the game or industry in which they operated.

Each will give a brief perspective on their experiences ‘changing the game’ of organisations in sport and business, followed by a panel discussion. The three speakers include:

Alistair Gray – leading European strategic management consultant and voluntary leader at a number of UK and European sports.
Baroness Sue Campbell CBE – Head of Women’s Football at The FA and former Chair of UK Sport and the Youth Sports Trust

Alistair Gray published The Game Changer with Routledge earlier this year. It outlines how a number of organisations in business and sport have done more than raise their performance – they have also changed the rules of the game in their industry.

Book your free space now for the chance to learn from some of the industry’s best!

Gryphons Abroad Football Shirt Collection

Beth Stanfield

July 1, 2019

Gryphons Abroad is our international volunteering programme. Each year, students and staff from the University of Leeds travel to South Africa to deliver a life changing project. We aim to raise aspirations through activity and leadership, working with hundreds of children. Additionally, this project is delivered at part of the Bambisanani Partnership Charity.

This year, we have been collecting football shirts to give to the five schools we’re working with. We had a fantastic donation from the University of Leeds Women’s Football Club, who donated their whole playing kit. Also, a special mention goes to eight year old Murphy, who has collected over 170 football shirts for Gryphons Abroad.
He was asked if he would like to donate one of his playing kits to the Gryphons Abroad scheme, and when he learnt that some children couldn’t afford to buy their own kit, he set up the campaign with the help of his parents.
They were hoping to collect around 25 kits initially, but the campaign grew and they now have more than 170 different kits, ranging from Barcelona to Carlisle United.

To keep up with the campaign, check out Murphy’s Mission on Facebook.

Words cannot describe how grateful we are to Murphy for campaigning and collecting over 170 football shirts to take out to South Africa on our Gryphons Abroad Volunteering trip. What an inspiration he is! #GryphonsAbroad @UniversityLeeds @UniLeedsStaff https://t.co/CnJLHkmIyk

— Leeds_Sport (@Leeds_Sport) June 21, 2019

The students and staff will be travelling out to South Africa on Saturday 13th July 2019. To keep up with what’s happening, follow us on Instagram (@Leeds_Sport) for daily updates and stories from our volunteers.

Finally, if you’re interested in this once in a lifetime opportunity, apply to be a part of our 2020 team – applications close Friday 27th September 2019.

Netball Success – On and Off the Court

Beth Stanfield

June 10, 2019

The University of Leeds Netball Club are celebrating four awards after one of their most successful years to date.

Firstly, in February 2019, they were crowned winners of the Student Sport, Special Contribution category at the Leeds Sport Awards. They then went on to win ‘Club of the Year’ at this year’s Sports Colours Awards and Netball club captain, Annalisa Townsend was awarded the Gryphon Leadership Award for her outstanding efforts in steering the club.
Not to mention, a Leeds for Life citizenship award for ‘Project of the Year’ for their schools volunteering project alongside the Leeds Rhinos Foundation.

Social Sport

The netball club have contributed over 500 hours of volunteering this academic year. This makes them one of our best clubs on campus for giving back.
On campus, social sport activators Anna Blake & Rosie Tate also delivered weekly social netball sessions at The Edge. These sessions enable students to play regular netball without the commitment of being on a team.

“Being an activator helped me to improve my confidence & creativity. Each week we had to come up with fun, engaging ideas for the group.”

Rosie Tate, Netball Activator.

The University of Leeds also supports a huge social netball league with 36 teams competing each year. In order to run, a team of 20 volunteer umpires officiate 2 hours each per week during term.
Here’s what Elise had to say about her time as a Netball Umpire:

New Opportunities

The netball club have been a driving force behind a new schools volunteering pilot in partnership with the Leeds Rhinos Foundation. Seven members of the club volunteered in local primary schools, delivering netball amongst other sports alongside the Rhinos. Each volunteer also committed to achieving their ‘Level 2 Principles of Coaching Sport & Physical Activity’ award to prepare them for their placement.

“The Gryphons into Schools programme has been a fantastic experience for myself and the other netball girls who volunteered. Participating in the schools programme has given me the confidence to do more coaching and take on any challenge. Whether you have done coaching before or not I would highly recommend it – not only because it’s a great experience, but because of the skill set you develop throughout.”

Annalisa Townsend, Club Captain.

Volunteers with school children

Their volunteering enabled over 3300 participations in netball to take place on campus and across Leeds this year. Furthermore, the clubs voluntary activities carried an economic value of over £3500.

“The netball club have demonstrated a genuine passion for netball and created a culture of volunteering in the club in a relatively short space of time. Annalisa was the driving force behind all of this, influencing and supporting others to achieve more. They’ve really shown what can be achieved through hard work and commitment to others.”

Suzzi Garnett, Sports Volunteering Officer

Charity Work

In addition, the club have also dedicated time to charitable activities, such as the Christmas shoebox appeal, rainbow scrunchies during LGBT+ history month, as well as a joint social with Rugby League in aid of the James Burke Foundation and many more.

Finally, congratulations once again to the University of Leeds Netball Club on their achievements this year. As a result, they’ve already got 24 volunteers lined up to support various programmes next academic year.

If your club or society is interested in volunteering you can check out our current programmes here.
Meanwhile, applications for our Gryphons into Schools programme are open – individuals from any sporting background can apply and applications close on Friday 21st June 2019.

For more information about the programmes mentioned or sports volunteering, contact:
Suzzi Garnett, Sports Volunteering Officer
s.garnett@leeds.ac.uk / 0113 343 1544.

Funding to grow volunteering programme

Beth Stanfield

January 24, 2019

volunteers with refugees as part of the football and language refugee programme - posing for a photo

Leeds Sport are delighted to announce that a funding injection from the Footsteps Fund will help us grow our sports volunteering programmes this semester.

Our Gryphons into Schools and Gryphons in the Community programmes will see almost 40 students deployed into local schools and community groups to deliver sport this semester.

The Footsteps Fund uses kind donations from alumni and friends of the University of Leeds to support initiatives that enhance the student experience and have an invaluable impact on individual students as well as the wider community. Students involved in Leeds Sport’s off campus volunteering programmes will develop their own skills and broaden their horizons as well as bring sport to new audiences across the city.

Following the success of last year’s pilot project delivering football and English language tuition at the Leeds Refugee Forum in Harehills, the Footsteps funding will help us to deploy volunteers to support four more community groups through our Gryphons in the Community programme this academic year. Students will get off campus and deliver boxing sessions alongside Unorthobox, after school sports at the LS14 Trust in Seacroft, and table tennis and boxing at the Reginald Centre in Chapeltown. A little closer to home students will also get their hands dirty fixing bikes at the Bike Hub on campus and support various cycling activities up at the Brownlee Centre.

The Footsteps fund will also enable us to deliver a new schools programme alongside the Leeds Rhinos Foundation(LRF). Volunteers from the University of Leeds Netball club will work alongside LRF coaches to deliver netball in primary schools across the city. By working with a qualified coach, students will have the opportunity to develop their coaching skills in a supportive environment as well as share their passion for netball with young people in Leeds. This is a partnership we hope to grow to encompass more sports and schools in the coming years.

The funding will primarily be used to support comprehensive training, giving student’s formal qualifications and a meaningful legacy to their volunteering as well as enhancing their University experience.

Suzanne Glavin, Head of Sport at the University of Leeds said:

‘We are delighted to have the support of the Footsteps Fund to enhance and grow our volunteering offer. There is a great appetite from both students and local schools and community groups for these types of partnerships and we are really excited about the impact which the Footsteps Funding will have’

More information about the Footsteps Fund can be found here.

More information about Leeds Sport’s volunteering programme can be found here.

Change Lives In South Africa

Tilly Hall

September 18, 2017

students helping a south african student to ride a bike

Our Gryphons Abroad project is a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop your skills whilst changing the lives of young people in South Africa.

In June we will travel to South Africa and deliver a unique project which aims to raise aspirations through activity and leadership. This student led project is a fantastic opportunity for you to gain a huge amount of skills and experience which will set you apart once you leave university.

What Will the Project involve?

You will spend two weeks in South Africa, the first week inspiring students through sport and the second teaching them to ride and maintain bikes.
In the first week you teach leadership skills, sports activities and a range of classroom lessons to over 100 primary school children, culminating in a day where the South African students lead in organising a range of activities and a sports festival.
The impact of this week is invaluable to the employability of the students in this deprived area as they are taught valuable skills as well as gaining a huge amount of confidence in their ability.

“Gryphons Abroad is without doubt one of the best things I’ve ever done, I had the best time doing things I never thought I would get the chance to do.”
Amy Grabe, Philosophy Student

The second week involves teaching 20+ students to ride and maintain their own school bikes. Travel to and from school in these areas can be an issue due to the distance between home and school (up to 2 hours walk) and this is a barrier to some students accessing an education. You will teach students a skill which can be life changing, this impact is especially clear with young girls as cycling is not a skill that is traditionally taught to women in their culture.

To pay for your place on the trip and donate towards the project costs e.g. buying bikes you will be required to fundraise £2000 over 8 months. This is a challenge which will develop your skills and contribute towards your employability.

“Don’t worry about the fundraising because it seems like a lot of money at the start but it is literally so easy, and such a miniscule part of the process to get to such an amazing country and work with like-minded people that you’re probably going to be friends with for a long time.”

April Leeson, Language Student

Join the Team
We want enthusiastic and motivated students from across the University to join our team for 17/18. The project is open to all students and no prior experience in a sports setting is needed. So if travelling to a different country and experiencing a new culture while leading on a project and making a clear impact on students’ lives in South Africa sounds like it’s something you would like to be a part of the make sure you apply before the 1st October 2017.

We’ve made the application process as simple as possible, all you need to do to apply is email Tilly (n.c.hall@leeds.ac.uk) answering the following question:

Why do you want to be part of the team and what could you offer?

Your answer needs to be a maximum of 1 side of A4 and emailed to Tilly (n.c.hall@leeds.ac.uk) by midnight on the 1st October 2017.
Interviews Will Take Place: w/c 2nd October

Apply Now!

Got any questions? Email Tilly: n.c.hall@leeds.ac.uk or take a look at the Gryphons Abroad Webpage.

Leeds Varsity parkrun, be a part of the series

Lucy Wood

August 15, 2017

Leeds Varsity are excited to announce that following last years success, Varsity parkrun is back for 2017.

If you’ve always wanted to be involved with the greatest sporting event in the university calendar, you can! So how does it work?

Each runner and volunteer will score a point for their University, the University with the most points wins parkrun Varsity.

When? Saturday 30th September, 8.30am

Where? Woodhouse Moor

How? Register with parkrun then simply turn up on the Saturday morning wearing your University colours to take part. Staff, students and alumni are welcome. parkrun is a 5km run which you can take as slow or as fast as you like. If you are keen to get involved but can’t run, don’t worry, you can volunteer for your University and you’ll still count towards your universities total. There will be 3 funnels after you’ve finished, you simply need to make your way down the funnel allocated to your University and hand in your token.

Who wins? You will only score a point for your university if you register and wear your University colours. The University with the most participants (runners and volunteers) will be the parkrun Varsity champions!

Helpful Information for on the day

Register beforehand
Print off and bring your barcode
Leave bags and coats at the finish line not the start line
Get to the start line for 8:50am
Please listen carefully during the run briefing
It’s a run not a race, you’re an ambassador for your university. Please be considerate to other runners and park users
Wear your university’s colours, GREEN for Uni, PURPLE for Beckett.
Try to seed yourself on how fast you think you’ll be able to complete the run
Cross the finish line the third time it comes into sight
After crossing the finish line stay in order until given a finish token
Get your barcode and finish token scanned at your University-specific scanning station

Sports Colours Awards 2017

Lucy Wood

May 13, 2017

On Wednesday 3rd May, players, coaches, students and staff from Leeds Sport celebrated a fantastic year of sporting achievements. The Sports Colours Awards dinner was a fabulous evening, just one of many nights that made up the over arching celebrate week, which culminates with Friday nights grand finale; The Riley’s.

The evening was opened by host Activities officer Taiwo Ogunyinka alongside Sports, Dance, & Martial Arts Reps Ruan, Lauren, and Sam. This lead us in to the first awards of the evening, Club Colours, presented by the reps and Full Colours, by Sports Coordinator and BUCS guru, Rob Fairley. These are awarded to individuals who have gone above and beyond for their society or who have consistently performed highly for their team. This year there were a phenomenal 101 Club Colours awarded showing the fantastic commitment of Leeds Sport club members. There were also a huge 40 Full Colours awarded highlighting the talent of the athletes here at the University.

After a wonderful meal provided by the University of Leeds refectory, attendees were treated to a sensational performance by Dancesport to open the second half of the evening. The performance set a fantastic tone to the evening and showcased the talent among our dancers here at Leeds. The Sports Colours Awards evening also allowed Leeds Sport to celebrate its strength and depth of Sport Scholars whom it supports throughout their time at University.

Following these celebrations, we awarded this years White Rose and Gryphon Award winners who again have excelled either through commitment to their club or their performing excellence respectively. This years White Rose winners were:

Olivia Carter (Squash)
James Nicholson (Hiking)
Ayesha Lee (Cricket)
Shona Macloud (Football)
Frances Robbs de la Hoye (Rugby)
Will Carter (Ultimate Frisbee)
Grace Galbraith (Dancesport)
Tom Harding (Rugby Union)
Jack Bullock (Football)
Natasha Shafquat (Hockey)
Luke Bowen (Snowriders)
Ciaran Lennon (Ice hockey)
Nigel Sibanda (Volleyball)

And our Gryphon Award winners, were:

Rachel Newborough (Football)
Rosie Blout (Cycling)
Robert White (Ultimate Frisbee)
Fionnuala Crosbie (Netball)
Ciara Crosbie (Netball)
Savvas Hadjigeorgiou (Hockey)
Felix Titherley (American Football)
Josh Blower (Lacrosse)
Sarah Donnelly (Kick boxing and Krav Maga)

This lead in to our top 9 awards for the evening beginning with 2 new awards; Social League Team of the Year which was awarded to Law Netball, and the newly introduced this year Gryphon Leadership Award, awarded to Hannah Clarke for her outstanding contribution to the Netball Umpire Academy. The next two rewarded our coaches for their hard work to get the teams to where they are. This years Sue Jacklin Club Coach of the Year went to Hockey’s Chris Golding who coached 3 of the hockey clubs teams this past year. Our Mike Brook Performance Coach of the Year went to Women’s Cricket head coach Rick Holland who has gone above and beyond his role in the past 12 months to deliver an excellent coaching experience to the Women’s Cricket Club and the newly formed Women’s MCCU side.

Netballers posing for photo with award and presenter Emma

Most Improved Athlete of the Year was awarded to Rowing’s James Boak who since starting rowing from scratch in 2016, was selected for the Club’s new group of ‘Performance Scullers’. In November James entered the National BUCS Indoor Rowing Series, where he placed Silver in the whole of Great Britain, an achievement which no one from Leeds has done on recent records. He has continued to break other Club records, posting the best 30 minute time on the rowing machine to date. He is driven and always gives his all. He is now setting his goals towards the water.

James & Jess posing for a photo with trophy

The Chris Hatton Most Improved Team of the Year went to the American Football who’s team went undefeated and become the BUCS 2A North conference champions, scoring an average of 35 points a game as the number 1 ranked offense in the country. The team also made it to the BUCS Northern Conference Cup finals.

This year’s Roberts Athlete of the year award went to Triathlon’s Sam Dickinson, one of the Universities Sports Scholars. Sam claimed 1^st place in the Time Trial Qualifier at the 2016 Kitzbuhel ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup, and 1^st in the main Triathlon event. He also took 1^st in the 2016 Holten ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup, and 8^th in the 2016 ITU World Triatlon Grand Final Cozumel. Sam also achieved Gold in the BUCS Sprint Triathlon 2016 beating Gordon Benson, GB triathlete and Leeds Alumni in the process. He’s definitely one to watch for the future.

Rugby League were the winners of this years Team of the Year, who’s award has now been renamed in memory of James Burke who tragically passed away in April this year. Rugby League are one of the few teams at Leeds that currently compete in the BUCS Premier division. This year they finished an impressive 3rd behind Leeds Beckett and Northumbria, their best league finish in over 10 years. They reached the BUCS Championship semi-finals narrowly missing out on the finals to league winners Northumbria. The team were also victorious in a new event this year, the Yorkshire Varsity, which took place at the Headingley Stadium against a side made up of the best students from across Yorkshire Universities.

Rugby League team posing for a photo with trophy

The Chief Executive of Leeds University Union, Aidan Grills took to the stage to present the final and most hotly anticipated award of the evening, Club of the Year. For the second year running, Women’s Hockey, were announced winners of this award having sent in an impressive nomination excelling in all criteria for the award. The 24 strong club committee efficiently manages 8 teams and uses its strength in numbers to boast as a leading society for charity fundraising. They have created their own website and have been heavily involved with getting involved in the community with their annual ‘Quicksticks’ tournament. Not only that but they have continued to develop relationships with alumni and aid player personal development opportunities with their ‘Hockey Works’ scheme. Congratulations ladies on a well deserved award!

Volunteer of the month: Kate Hiley

Why Would You Volunteer?