Q: What level are you currently at on the Cycling Award for Young Volunteers Programme?

A: I am currently on Gold.

Q: What do you enjoy most about volunteering?

A: What I enjoy most about volunteering is helping other people.

Q: How do you think being a volunteer has helped you?

A: It has made me learn life skills.

Q: Is there anything you would change about your volunteering experience?

A: No.

Q: Where would you like your volunteering to take you in the future?

A: To work with the GB team and to work at Major events like the National Trophy or the Revolution.

Blog 1: 24/07/2012

Working with regional staff member: Chris Young

I assisted with coaching at a go ride holiday scheme, this involved helping to set up equipment and demonstrating skills to the kids. I felt really proud knowing that people had gone away knowing something they didn’t know before.

I had to demonstrate twice because the children didn’t understand at first. This involved using my bike handling skills learnt from similar sessions in the past, mainly with Chris and how to deal with children.

I set the equipment up correctly and I performed the demonstration clearly. The one thing that I would change is that I would demonstrate slower and maybe would demonstrate from different positions so that everyone could see.

Blog 2: 12/01/2013

Commentating at an event

I commentated on the U8,U10 and U12 races at the National Cyclo-Cross championships in Peel Park, Bradford.

I made the riders feel like they were part of an important race. It made me feel happy and satisfied that I had done a good job. The main commentator I was supposed to work with, Matt Payne got held up and couldn’t help so I had to work with people and riders I didn’t know from start sheets as there were riders from all over the country. This also required me to work quickly and kept me on my toes. This mainly involved: working as a team and being clear, keeping it simple when commentating.

I felt my commentating was clear, but to improve further, I would learn the riders names beforehand.

Blog 3: 14/01/2013

Working with the regional recreation manager: Dan Goodey

I ran a rollers competition at a BC Sky/ Cycle Bradford reward event for young riders and volunteers. I ran the rollers with Lizzie Armitstead riding among others. I felt inspired to see Lizzie and I felt good that I was able to run the rollers competition for her. People had fun on the rollers.

The challenge was working under pressure with Lizzie Armitstead on East Bradford CC’s rollers. To do this activity I needed an understanding of how to set up all the equipment including adjusting rollers and setting up all the electronics etc.

The equipment worked well. I made sure people warmed up before riding. Generally the event went well and was a success.

Blog 4 - 08/11/2013

Calling at National Road Race

I was one out of 3 callers at the National Series round at Scarborough. The thing that went well at the event was that I managed to call most of numbers on the final lap; I could improve this by getting the numbers off the back of the bunch too.

I felt that I got the result for the National A boys, which is the hardest race to judge. The biggest challenge that I faced was getting numbers of over 40 riders over two laps. I used my steady calling skills to let the judge hear me, but I would like to be clearer when calling.

Blog 5 – 08/11/2013

Announcing

I was the announcer at round 6 of the West Riding Track League. I was clear and ever body praised me after the event and I didn’t keep talking when I didn’t need to. I felt like I kept everybody entertained and I didn’t talk over the action.

The biggest challenges that I faced were setting up the equipment and getting riders to the start line.

The only thing that I would try and change would be to not speak over the racing and communicate on the action, not over it.