Gryphons in the Community – Managed projects

OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE

Our Gryphons in the Community programme aims to do good stuff and bring communities in Leeds together through sport. This could be through delivering sport to people in the local community or even helping people learn a new skill. In all of our projects sport is used as a vehicle for building positive relationships between the University and the wider community, offering students the opportunity to experience something different. We have a close relationship with the Sport Science department supporting students with their 24 hour placements but Leeds Sport can support any student, sporty or not to make a difference right here in Leeds. Our projects are fun and rewarding and you will be helping people in Leeds to live more active lives as well as broadening your own horizons and developing new skills. Change lives (not just theirs, yours too!).

CURRENT PROJECTS

• Supporting sport & physical activity for mental health service users at the Newsam Centre in partnership with the NHS. Please read more about the details of this particular project before completing your application

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Commit to support the delivery of a minimum of one community project in a selected location – community project timescales vary depending on the intervention. Many of our projects can be tailored to suit the number of hours you would like to deliver (e.g. 24 hours for Sport Science students). For the majority of projects training will take place in semester 1 with delivery taking place over 6-12 weeks once this is complete on a weekly or rota basis. Most projects will be looking for a weekly commitment but some operate on a rota basis depending on how many student volunteers we are able to recruit. Read more about the training and delivery commitments of each individual intervention here.
• Contribute to the development and sustainability of community sport in Leeds
• Represent the University & Leeds Sport in a positive manner
• Record participation details from all sessions delivered on our online system
• Provide regular feedback and good news stories from your sessions
• Maintain open lines of communication with the Leeds Sport team
• Provide a fun, friendly & welcoming atmosphere at your sessions
• Attend all training required for your project in line with the Leeds Sport minimum deployment guidelines

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• You do not need prior coaching experience or qualifications as full training will be provided for all projects
• A passion for community social action and developing sport
• Excellent people skills and an ability to put newcomers, underrepresented groups and beginners at ease
• Be willing and able to engage with the programme in its entirety including induction, ongoing training and mentoring
• Commitment will vary from project to project but ideally you will be able to commit weekly time to your chosen project in both semester 1 (for training & delivery) & semester 2 (for delivery).
• Enthusiasm & energy
• Good communication skills
• Reliable, Trustworthy and Open-minded

SKILLS DEVELOPED

Communication, Team Working, Leadership, Flexibility, Planning & Organisation, Independent working, Time management.

TRAINING & SUPPORT

We want you to have the very best volunteering experience with us; therefore we take care to ensure you get the training and support you need to carry out your role including:

• An initial induction to the organisation and the role
• Safeguarding training where required (if you will be working with under 18’s in your role)
• First Aid training where required
• Sports Leadership training where required
• Regular mentoring, observations and feedback from the Leeds Sport team

Any further training and support needs will be discussed with the Sports Volunteering Officer, who will be your main point of contact.

REWARD & RECOGNITION

The time and skills that you provide are invaluable and we make every effort to ensure you feel appreciated in your role. Leeds Sport is invested in retaining volunteers and ensuring their volunteering is a supportive, high quality experience working to the common aims of growing community sports participation and developing students skills. All Gryphons in the Community volunteers will be eligible for the following:

• A uniform in the form of a Leeds Sport Leadership t-shirt to wear during their sessions
• Access to all training required to complete the role including certified First Aid & Safeguarding courses where required
• Volunteer of the month awards
• References from our staff team
• Travel expenses will also be paid

COMMITMENT

Commitment varies from project to project but ideally you will be able to commit to all of the training outlined and 2-3 hours per week during the course of the delivery of your chosen project, consisting of a minimum of 1 hour’s delivery, travel to and from sessions and administration time.  If you are likely to find this commitment difficult, please speak to the Sports Volunteering Officer who will be able to discuss this in more detail.

You will be required to attend any training relevant to your role in line with the Leeds Sport minimum deployment guidelines for volunteers.

FURTHER INFORMATION

• Gryphons in the Community volunteers are responsible to Lauren Havercroft, Sports Volunteering Officer in the Leeds Sport Team & the named on-site project lead for each intervention
• This role will require a DBS check
• We currently have 25 Gryphons in the Community roles available across the three projects for 2022-23
• Online applications for the 2022-23 academic year are now closed. Late applications may be considered but this depends on the availability of training.
• Following your online application you may be invited for an informal meeting or group briefing with the Sports Volunteering Officer to discuss the role.