Join In by Volunteering

Much as I love taking part in events I know that they're really only made possible by the kind hearts of hundreds of volunteers. In the past I would only volunteer if I wasn't able to participate myself, which is all well and good but I've been doing a lot more working behind the scenes, volunteering and supporting this year and have found it very rewarding.

Perhaps you watched coverage of the London or Brighton Marathons this year and got itchy feet to get involved. Maybe you remember an occasion when marshals and cheerleaders lifted you when things got tough, put that medal around your neck or pointed you to the start line in the first place? It's likely that all of these people gave up their time to help you. But it's not just about races. There are many sports clubs that rely on volunteers too.

Join In pulls together hundreds of volunteer roles that you could get involved in and allows you to search by area, sport or skillset. I was surprised at just how many opportunities there were within just 5 miles of my front door, from marshalling to event organisation, general maintenance to marketing.

Of course supporting your friends and families in their events is wonderful but if you want to do a little more than that then there are plenty of opportunities to be had. Not only could you develop new skills but you'll be enabling people to take part in the sports they love. And who knows, you might just find a new activity to try yourself.