Philip Watson, Chairman of Peacock Archers near Cambridge (picture above), is one of Archery GB's long-serving volunteers. He explains the 'selfish' reasons behind his dedication to helping others in the sport.
Philip said: "On the face of it, volunteering is a pretty straightforward proposition. You give up some time and skills for the good of others, right? Well, I thought that too for a long while, and I've been volunteering as a Scout Leader in various roles for over 20 years! Then, while I was on a completely unrelated training course, the facilitator pointed out the one thing that (rightly or wrongly) motivates us all: Â"What's in it for me?”
"I'd never really thought of volunteering as something that I was doing selfishly, but it's clear that I must be getting something out of it otherwise why would I keep on doing it? So it seems that what's in it for me (WIIFM) isn't always about what you get in return for your efforts; it can be how it makes you feel and I think that's what keeps me coming back for more, as I definitely get a buzz from my volunteering roles.
"While people may initially volunteer for what they describe as ‘giving back' or ‘the common good', I think what keeps many folks coming back for more is the good feeling you get from it, and that's often quite selfish, but in a good way!"
Ready to volunteer?
If you are interested in volunteering in archery, please complete this volunteer survey, so we can find out more information about you and the volunteer roles you are interested in. We will then use this information to help signpost you to appropriate training and match your volunteering interests to available opportunities.
Does your club need volunteers?
If you run a club and need more volunteers, please complete this club survey so we can help match available volunteers to roles you need filling within your club.
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