Tullamore Town FC would not exist without volunteers giving their time and effort, and for this, we are extremely grateful. Volunteers are the driving force of Tullamore Town FC, and without volunteers, the club would not be able to offer football opportunities to our players and the local community. 

It is important that the Club provides a healthy environment for volunteers and recruits the right people for the right job. The majority of the Club’s volunteers act as managers and/or coaches for the various age groups within the Club.  

It is therefore the club’s responsibility to ensure that all volunteers are provided a safe environment, along with all the members. 

The following steps have been created to help protect young people and assist in placing volunteers in a position to which they are suited best and supported. 

 ·         Role Descriptions:  

The Club will provide a clear role description for all new volunteer positions that will include: main duties/responsibilities, necessary qualifications, required attributes, skills required, and a rough time commitment. The volunteer role will be publicised through The Club’s communication channels.  

·         Application Form: 

A brief application form will be provided for all applicants. This ensures the relevant information is collected and that all interested parties are treated fairly. 

·         Interview: 

All volunteers will go through an informal meeting with at least two committee members. The purpose of this is to identify the volunteer’s ability to carry out the role as described. 

·         Reference:

Every applicant will provide at least two independent references, who will be contacted before the commencement of any role. Should the applicant have previously volunteered at other sports clubs, they will be asked to provide references from said clubs. The Club may also contact previous clubs for the sake of due diligence.

·         Garda Vetting & Safeguarding: 

In line with legislation and The Club’s Safeguarding Policy, everyone volunteering at The Club will require Garda Vetting through the FAI and must attend a Safeguarding 1 course before beginning their role. This is the responsibility of the volunteers and can be completed online.  Help will be given to all volunteers in the setting up of their FAI Comet account in order to submit Garda Vetting Applications as well as book onto relevant Child Welfare Courses.

·         Induction: 

Every new volunteer will receive an induction to ensure that they are familiar with their surroundings, comfortable, and made aware of the club’s policies and procedures.  

·         Training and Ongoing Development: 

All volunteers can choose to complete ongoing development courses if they wish, and are encouraged to do so. Where possible, the Club may provide training to upskill volunteers.  

·         Support: 

Tullamore Town FC will support all volunteers and commit to holding regular meetings to discuss any problems or issues that may arise. The Club officials are always on hand to discuss issues outside of these meeting times. 

·         Volunteers: 

All volunteers will adhere to the Club’s rules, policies, and Club constitution, as well as abide by the FAI’s rules, and failure to follow these may result in disciplinary procedures. In the event of a complaint or failure by any volunteer to abide by Club rules and by the highest standards of ethics and good practice, the club may request that a coach or manager step aside while a complaint is being investigated. It may also be deemed appropriate in the interest of the Club for the coach or manager to step away from his/her role temporarily or permanently. In certain serious circumstances, an immediate stand-down order may be issued to a coach or manager by the club executive committee.

·         Contact details:

Will be collected, and new coaches will consent to being added to the relevant Clubzap and WhatsApp groups, as these are the communication channels used to share information with our coaches.

·         GDPR:

All data relating to Garda Vetting information will be stored, as per the FAI Data Protection and storage policies, and access to this information is strictly by the Child Welfare officers only.

This Volunteer policy is freely accessible to all. It will be reviewed on a yearly basis to adapt or improve it.