Time trialling desperate for more volunteers

Survey finds breakdown of club membership

- James Shrubsall

More volunteers are needed to run time trials, and more openness is needed from those at the top. These were among the key findings of an extensive survey carried out by Cycling Time Trials (CTT) earlier this year, the results of which have just been released.

The survey, sent to race organisers, timekeepers and District Council volunteer officials, returned a host of findings, with a lack of volunteers the most frequently cited lament. It also found the CTT needed to connect more efficiently with its members.

Of the organisers surveyed who no longer organised events, a lack of support from volunteers willing to help out in roles such as marshals, reduced entries and a general lack of interest were common themes, while “concerns regarding volunteer help” was listed as a key finding by the CTT.

The responses from the District Committee chairs and secretaries echoed this, with 84% citing “getting volunteers to join the District Committee” as one of their main challenges, alongside getting clubs to attend AGMs and other meetings.