What is Recognition?
The Volunteer & Internship Recognition Scheme (VIRS) formally recognises the contribution that volunteers and interns make to Northumbria Sport. The purpose of VIRS is:
- to ensure you have the appropriate skills and knowledge to complete your role safely and effectively.
- to incentivise and promote continuous personal development.
- to reflect on your skills, knowledge, and experience and developing your employability skills.
There are three stages for you to work though, each providing different opportunities and rewards.
- Embedding Safe Practice
- Developing Your Skills
- Preparing For The Future
All volunteers and interns will be required to complete the first stage, “Embedding Safe Practice”, and we would encourage you to take advantage of the benefits to be found in “Developing Your Skills” and “Preparing For The Future”.
Embedding Safe Practice
- Once you have offered your volunteering or internship, we will check that you have the appropriate skills and qualifications that we deem to be relevant to your role
- If you do not currently hold some of these qualifications, we will offer these to you free of charge.
- Once you have completed the qualification(s), simply upload them to our Volunteer Kinectic Portal
What's in it for me?
- Certificate of completion of Embedding Safe Practice VIRS, proving your commitment to safe practice.
- Free sports kit
- Access to Development Bursary which provides you up to £300 towards additional qualifications and training opportunities to help you stand out.
Developing Your Skills
Create posistive habits around your personal and professional development to build upon your skills and knowledge
What does it involve?
- You will be provided with a selection of free courses in topics such as mental health awareness, sudden cardiac arrest, LGBTQ+ and inclusive practice
- You are required to complete a minimum of 2 courses. There is no limit of the number of courses that you can attend.
- Once you have completed the course(s), upload your certificates of completition to Volunteer Kinectic
- Upload a written statement to Blackboard to evidence how the CPD that you have attended has influenced, modified or change your practice.
What's in it for me?
- Get ahead of the competition by gaining qualifications and attending training
- Certificate of completition of Developing your skills, VIRS, providing your commitment to engaging with continious personal and professional development.
- Gain free access to qualifications
- Free UK Coaching Membership
- Rewards for high levels of engagement in CPD such as vouchers, social media recognition to build your rand and tickets for Sports Ball.
Preparing For The Future
Reflect on the skills, knowledge, and experiences that you have gained in your role and translate this info effective employability skills
What does it involve?
- Attend a "Showcase Your Strengths" workshop ran by Careers Advisors at Graduate Futures, to provide training in how to communicate your experiences in job applications and interviews
- Attend a "CV writing workshop" ran by Careers Advisors at Graduate Futures, then update your CV and submit for a review
- Submit a personal statement to evidence how you meet the essentials skills that employers are looking for in graduates (communication, teamwork, negociations, problem solving, leadership, organisation, resilliences, ability to work under pressure and confidence).
- Finally, take part in a mock job interview to showcase your talents and promote the skills and knowledge that you have gained over volunteering or internships and recieve feedback.
What's in it for me?
- Get ahead of the competition by kickstarting your employability journey
- Certificate of completition of Preparing For The Future VIRS, proving your commitment to enhancing your employability skills and knowledge
- Gain access to free employability and education
- Personalised LinkedIn reccomendation from Northumbria Sport to evidence your commitment to personal and professional development
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