The Volunteer WhatsApp Group

Welcome to the SwimBuddz Volunteers group. This is your guide to how it works, what gets posted here, and how we celebrate the people who make SwimBuddz actually run.

What This Group Is For

Volunteering is one of our core pillars. You're not "helping out" — you're the reason the community works.

This group is the operational home for volunteering. It's where you'll find:

• 🗓️ Weekly opportunities — posted every Wednesday for the upcoming Saturday
• ✋ Sign-ups, swaps, and last-minute cover — grab a slot, swap with someone, or call for cover if something comes up
• 🥉 Tier milestones and Volunteer of the Month — we celebrate the people showing up consistently
• ❓ Questions about any role — no question is too basic

Keep It Operational

General chat, gear talk, session recap photos — those all belong in the main SwimBuddz Community group. This group stays focused on volunteering so that when you open it on Saturday morning, you can see the opportunity without scrolling past 40 unrelated messages.

If a conversation drifts, someone will gently say "let's take this to the main group" — no offence meant. It's just how we keep this one scannable.

How Opportunities Work

1. Wednesday — The week's opportunities are posted with role, time, and what's needed
2. Reply to claim — Say "I'll take [role]" or react to the post. First come, first served
3. Session Lead confirms — You'll get a confirmation in the group or a DM
4. Show up — Arrive early enough to be briefed (15 min before start time for most roles)
5. Debrief after — Tell the Session Lead how it went

Can't make it after you've claimed a slot? Cancel as early as you can so someone else can cover. Life happens — we'd rather you tell us than no-show.

Tiers and Recognition

Every volunteer starts at Tier 1 (Occasional). As you log hours and build up a strong reliability score, you move up:

• Tier 2 (Core) — 20+ hours, 80+ reliability. Unlocks Session Lead, Safety, and Mentor roles.
• Tier 3 (Lead) — 50+ hours, 90+ reliability. You're a pillar of the community.

On top of tiers, there are recognition levels that come with real perks:

When you hit a new milestone, we'll shout you out in this group. It's how the whole group sees what's possible — and it's a small thank-you from us for consistently showing up.

Every month, one person also gets Volunteer of the Month. It goes to whoever embodied the spirit best — sometimes that's the person with the most hours, sometimes it's the person who rescued a session last-minute, sometimes it's the mentor who brought a nervous swimmer back.

If Life Gets Busy

No pressure. Volunteering is opt-in. You can volunteer every week or once a month — it's entirely up to you.

If we notice you've been quiet for a while, you might get a friendly DM checking in — not a nag, just making sure you're okay and the group is still useful to you. Most people come back when the season or schedule allows, and we make it easy to jump back in.

The Group Rules

The same tone as the main community group. Simple:

1. Be kind. We're all here because we love swimming.
2. Keep it focused on volunteering (general chat → main group).
3. Respect everyone's time — post once, let others reply before reposting.
4. No spam, promotions, or forwarded broadcasts.
5. Questions are encouraged. No stupid questions here.

Your Next Steps

• 📌 Pin this group so you don't miss opportunities
• 🤝 Read the Volunteer Roles guide to see what roles interest you
• 👋 If you want to try Pool Ambassador, read the Pool Ambassador guide
• 🏊 Reply to Wednesday's post — take your first slot whenever you're ready

Welcome aboard. Let's build this thing together.