November's volunteer spotlight focuses on Kenzie Revington, the Welfare Officer at Hale Gardens in Hampshire.
Kenzie speaks to us about how she got into her volunteer role and the resources she's used to make a difference at her tennis club.
Being a volunteer Welfare Officer is rewarding
“I got involved as a Welfare Officer because I’d played at the club and wanted to give something back. I’m a children’s physiotherapist, so the chairman approached me to become the Welfare Officer. I’m lucky that through my job I’ve had safeguarding training and experience working with young children and adults at risk.
“I had a good handover from the outgoing welfare officer, a nurse who works in the NHS too, and went onto the LTA website to download all the resources from there.
“We’ve had to turn the club around as we want to get the Tennismark and we’ve renewed policies on court etiquette since I took on the role a year ago. There have been challenges and I’ve had cases to deal with, but the support from the LTA Safe and Inclusive Tennis team has been great. I have been involved in mediating disputes with senior members and also neighbours of the club, but these have now all been resolved.
“I have really enjoyed the social interaction with the committee and while it has been challenging, it’s been rewarding too. It’s a valuable job to the club and I would recommend it to others.”
Kenzie’s five top tips for volunteer Welfare Officers
- Use the resources on the LTA website
- Attend club forums to meet other Welfare Officers
- Use the LTA Safe and Inclusive Tennis team for advice
- Be confidential when dealing with cases
- Get to know the junior players