The Clarendon Marathon is a picturesque and challenging off-road running event that operates between Salisbury and Winchester. It includes a full marathon (26.2 miles), a half-marathon (13.1 miles), a marathon relay and a 5 mile race. Its aims to be a fulfiling community event for all participants and volunteers, whilst raising funds for charitable causes.
Volunteers play a crucial role in helping the Clarendon Marathon to happen and be a successful event, and we could not achieve this without their hard work. We are incredibly grateful for their support and want to make sure all our volunteers have a safe, rewarding and enjoyable experience. The Volunteer Policy recognises the significant and valuable role volunteers play in helping to make the Clarendon Marathon happen, as well as make it a successful event in terms of runners’ enjoyment and raising charitable funds.
This policy reflects our commitment to volunteering at the Clarendon Marathon and sets out a framework of procedures and best practice, which we will endeavour to follow when recruiting and working with our volunteers, to ensure that both volunteers’ and the Clarendon Marathon’s expectations are met.
The policy is for volunteers recruited by the Clarendon Marathon. We expect our partner organisations to have similar policies in place for their own volunteers and staff. Access to this policy will be provided to all volunteers when they begin volunteering with the Clarendon Marathon.
This policy applies only to those volunteering for the Clarendon Marathon, and does not place any obligation on Winchester or Salisbury Rotary.
The Clarendon committee will aim to conduct a review of this policy in June each year and will publish the latest version of this policy on its website (www.clarendon-marathon.co.uk/) before 31st July to ensure it is available to all runners and volunteers at least 60 days before the event. The policy will also be shared in documentation addressed to volunteers prior to the event.
The Policy Statement:
A Clarendon Marathon volunteer is someone who, unpaid and of their own free will, chooses to give their time, energy, skills and expertise to support the Clarendon Marathon in achieving its aims. The arrangement is voluntary on both sides. The event’s relationship with volunteers is based on trust and is not intended to have the obligations associated with employment.
No payment can be made by the Clarendon Marathon to people who give their time as volunteers. The Clarendon Marathon’s volunteers support the organisation in a number of ways, including:
- Partnering with colleagues, for example by providing event support in the build up to the event and helping to deliver the event on the day.
- Championing the Clarendon Marathon by helping to spread the word and connecting us with participants, other volunteers and partners.
- Building the community, for example by helping to recruit, train or support other volunteers.
We expect our volunteers (and all our staff) to aim to live by the values associated with the Clarendon Marathon by being:
- Approachable – open minded and value diversity
- Non-judgemental – focus on the potential not the past
- Inspiring – lead by example
- Empowering – enable positive change
- Passionate about the Clarendon Marathon’s goals and delivering excellence
We believe that by harnessing the passion and skills of our volunteer community, we can hold a successful event and are committed to engaging volunteers in this mission wherever possible. We aim to deliver a leading volunteering experience so that our volunteers enjoy supporting us and feel well equipped to support the work of the Clarendon Marathon.
We are committed to making the Clarendon Marathon the best organisation to volunteer with. To ensure that volunteers are at the forefront of everything we do, we aim to:
- Ensure that our volunteers understand what we expect from them, and what they can expect from us in return.
- Attract volunteers with the right skills to support the success of the Clarendon Marathon event.
In commencing a volunteer role, the volunteer commits to the aims, values and key policies of the Clarendon Marathon. They also commit to delivering the key tasks outlined in their role on the committee of the event. This commitment does not and is not intended to create a contract of employment between the Clarendon Marathon and volunteers.
Volunteers will have a valuable set of skills, knowledge and attitudes gained from their education, work, previous volunteering, and life experiences. To help ensure that volunteers are appropriately equipped for their role, volunteers will be briefed and provided detailed written instructions as appropriate. Each volunteer will be provided with relevant management and support. This might include regular, appropriate and mutually agreed contact. The Clarendon Marathon will also provide appropriate recognition and occasions to celebrate volunteers and their work, on an individual and group basis, according to specific role(s), commitment and length of service.
Volunteers must take reasonable care of themselves and others while volunteering for the Clarendon Marathon, and follow any health and safety advice and instruction given for their role. Volunteers should cooperate with the Clarendon Marathon on health and safety matters, and immediately report accidents/incidents (including near misses – accidents/incidents that may have led to injury). Volunteers should not intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety and welfare.
The Clarendon Marathon will ensure that all volunteers are provided with the appropriate information, supervision and written instructions required to enable them to complete voluntary work safely.
The work of the Clarendon Marathon is dependent on our network of volunteers and we are very grateful to the volunteers whose work is central to the Clarendon Marathon being a successful event.
Winchester Rotary provides insurance for the volunteers of the Clarendon Marathon.
The Clarendon Marathon will protect volunteer information in accordance with the relevant data protection legislation including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Data will be held securely and confidentially and will only be accessed by authorised individuals.
When volunteering with the Clarendon Marathon, volunteers are likely to become aware of confidential information about the event, its staff, partners and third parties. All volunteers are required to maintain confidentiality and should not disclose the organisation’s information during their volunteering services and any time afterwards.
Although the Clarendon Marathon makes every effort to ensure that any experience of volunteering with us is positive and rewarding, we recognise that volunteers at times may experience difficulty within their role or they may want to share feedback or raise an issue with a member of staff or another volunteer. In the first instance, volunteers should talk to their named contact (eg. Section Leaders) to try to resolve the issue, get advice or share feedback.
We will make every reasonable effort to resolve difficulties at an early stage and we always review feedback and learn from it. However, where the areas of concern cannot be resolved by these means, please contact the Committee Chair.
There may be occasions where named contacts may have concerns around a volunteer’s behaviour or approach. In this case, staff contacts will approach the volunteer directly to discuss any concerns they may have amicably and openly and resolve difficulties at an early stage.
Clarendon Marathon volunteers are free to cease volunteering with the Clarendon Marathon at any time by speaking or writing to their named contact. When deciding to finish volunteering with us, we ask that volunteers give us as much notice as possible to help us organise alternative arrangements. Upon leaving a volunteer role, we may offer an exit interview to reflect on their experiences and improve our volunteer opportunities. There are many different ways to support the Clarendon Marathon and so we encourage volunteers to stay in touch and get involved in the future.
There may also be times when the Clarendon Marathon will ask a volunteer to cease volunteering. This may be because the role no longer supports the needs of the organisation and its current work, or because the volunteer is no longer able to satisfactorily carry out a particular role. When this happens, we will endeavour to give as much notice as possible to the volunteer and try to find an acceptable alternative role. In all cases, the volunteer will be treated fairly, with dignity and respect.
Note there may be other policies which may be relevant to this policy and we encourage all volunteers to read the policies associated with the Clarendon Marathon.
This policy is also applicable to staff and all volunteers of the Clarendon Marathon.