OnBoard Volunteers 

Financial Support for Club Volunteers involved in OnBoard 

OnBoard Volunteering supports the delivery of the RYA OnBoard (OB) programme by ensuring that clubs have the capacity, in human resource terms, to deliver OB sailing activities to young people. The RYA Volunteer Development Officer is on hand to offer support and advice about how to maximise club potential through engaging a motivated, enthusiastic and skilled volunteer workforce.

The OB Volunteering Grants programme provides clubs with access to funding to support their volunteer programme. Clubs are able to apply for grants to support
a) the recruitment and recognition of club volunteers
b) the training & development of club volunteers.

Clubs that are working towards, but not yet signed up to OnBoard can also apply for funding, so they are able to train and develop key volunteers that are essential to delivery of OB activities in the future.

So far, 145 clubs/centres have signed up to OnBoard and are regularly delivering sailing activities to young people. 143 have already applied for and received funding to support their volunteers.

Clubs have applied for funding to support a variety of training and development activity for volunteers. The top five courses that clubs have requested funding for are:

• Dinghy Instructor
• First Aid
• Powerboat Level 2
• Safety Boat
• Assistant Instructor

From the grant application forms we have been able to gather the following information regarding volunteers within these clubs.

There are 1742 active volunteers, with 905 of them directly involved in OB - 485 as OnBoard volunteers and 362 as instructors.

• 77% of the volunteers are male, 23% are female.
• The average age of volunteers is 30 (Youngest 12 : Oldest 75)
• Of the clubs who have received grants, 55 have volunteers with disabilities, and 20 have volunteers from minority ethnic backgrounds.

If you want to find out more about how the RYA can help you to support your club volunteers contact:

• RYA Volunteer Development Officer
• Telephone: 02380 604 199
• E-mail: volunteering@rya.org.uk
• Visit the OnBoard website RUOB to find out more about local sailing opportunities for young people.