Give something back

Volunteering provides new opportunities and supports people across the community to enjoy all the benefits of being on the water

Volunteering at Hythe Sailing Club

Volunteering is vitally important across all areas of our sport. We visited Hythe Sailing Club to find out how their members work together to provide fun and welcoming experiences on the water. 

Part of club membership

At Hythe SC volunteering is part of the club membership.

Alice, Rear Commodore, explains: “You do 15 hours a year to support your membership, and that can be literally in anything. Our volunteers might do a pound clean up, help with pontoons, service dinghies, bar shifts, paint windows- anything that supports the club.”

Bringing people together

This approach not only gets those vital jobs done but it also brings people together, no matter what their background or experience.

Club member Biz joined along with her wife and describes the club to be very welcoming: “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, who you are. You’ve got one thing in common and that’s a love for being on the water- that’s all that matters. We’re very much part of the team here.”

What motivates people to volunteer?

Steve believes it’s the sense of satisfaction: “I think it’s the feeling of putting something back into the club”, he says: “there’s a lot of people down here who’ve been good to me. It was volunteers who taught me to sail, they helped me with my boats. It’s time to give something back really.”

Discover more about volunteering and our Together on Water strategy.