Great2Volunteer - the newest training programme for event volunteers and event support workers

Well, it may be that you don't. Lots of people volunteer to work at events without one.

Here at BE There, we believe that sound training is a good idea for everyone involved.

For you, training provides the skills and knowledge that make volunteering more fun. It gives you the confidence to volunteer at bigger events and for more demanding roles. And the Award recognises your commitment to providing a great service. It looks impressive on your CV too!

For event organisers, the Award tells them that you are qualified to meet the increasingly demanding requirements of volunteers at high-profile events. With a qualified event support team on board, they can be confident that they can deliver a quality event with an excellent repuatation.

For event participants, skilled volunteers create the environment for a great experience and make their participation more safe and enjoyable.

Are there enough good reasons here for you?

With a distance learning course, academic expectations are the same as for a classroom-based course in that you are still expected to work through the course, do some additional research/reading, and tackle exercises and assessments.

It can be a disadvantage that you’re working alone rather than in a group but you may have the opportunity to meet with other learners through the volunteering experience. The College, too, is a key partner in your programme, and you should contact your tutor with any queries or comments you may have.

The advantages are that you can work in the comfort of your own home and at times to suit yourself. And this isn't a long programme. You should be able to work your way through it in just a few weeks.

Yep.

You'll find as you read through it that we suggest you also visit some websites for more information eg on health and safety, and you might like to visit a library to see what there is on event management. Fundamentally though, everything you need is there - don't forget to listen to the podcasts too.

This question is really about level of detail. How much should you write? First, remember the point made in the podcast. These tasks are an opportunity for you to show what you know and understand. You need, therefore, to include enough to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding to your tutor/assessor.

John Birks, Senior Qualifications Manager at Edexcel, tells us in the podcast that you need to be concise. This means deciding what the answer is, including enough detail to make sure that you really have covered everything asked for, and then saying it as clearly and simply as possible. If you find that you are repeating yourself, eg by saying the same thing but in a different way, stop!

As an example, Unit 1, Outcome 1, Task 1 says:

'In your own words, choose and describe one piece of legislation, one directive and one procedure designed to keep spectators, competitors and/or performers safe at events.'

When you have chosen examples that relate to your event or case study, you should explain your choices. Then you should write one paragraph on each to show (a) that you know something about their content and (b) you understand how they keep people safe.

And that's all that's required. You're ready to move on.

This programme involves 30 study hours in total. This time is divided between:

Familiarising yourself with materials and with the process of learning with your college/school/training provider

Reading the course materials

Doing the helpful exercises in the three 'Think . . . Talk . . . Do' sections

And doing the assessments.

John Birks, Senior Qualifications Manager at Edexcel, says you can expect to spend up to 8 hours in total on the assessments. Bear in mind, though, that the time you take will depend on prior experience - both in learning and in volunteering - so some people will take less time and some people more. There is no hard and fast rule. And if you're not sure you're getting things right - contact your tutor/assessor.

If you have access to a computer with a printer then it's a good idea to use it to do your assessments. You print out a legible (readable) copy of your work and you have a copy saved for your records.

That said, it's perfectly OK to write out your work and send it off. If you do this, you must make sure that:

You use a pen with blue or black ink - not a pencil and not anything fancy with sparkles in it!

Your handwriting is legible. It is really difficult for your tutor if s/he cannot make out what you have written. No matter how much you know and understand, you have to be able to communicate it effectively to be assessed.

You make a copy of your work before sending it off, and keep it in a file.

If you have difficulty in presenting your assessments in written form then you should contact your college. Someone there will be able to provide you with the support that you need. You may be able to provide evidence of your learning in a different way eg by an audio or video recording or face-to-face interview.

Yes. There are lots of imaginative ways of providing evidence and you can back up some of your written work with photographs, video files and witness statements (messages from others who have seen you working in the role of event volunteer).

If you have difficulty in presenting your assessments in written form then you should contact your college. Someone there will be able to provide you with the support that you need. You may be able to provide evidence of your learning in a different way eg by an audio or video recording or face-to-face interview.

Yes. Information provided for distance learners by the College will include contact details. It is much better to contact your tutor to check on something you don't understand than to make a guess and find out later that your guess was a wrong one. It helps your tutor too, and you can build a good relationship with her/him as part of your learning.

Your college or training provider will send you details in your enrolment pack. These details will include dates for you (deadlines) by which you should have submitted your work.

It's important to stick to these deadlines and to use them as targets to make sure you get everything done. If there is some reason for not being able to meet a deadline (eg you have been ill or busy working) then you should contact your tutor BEFORE THE DATE IN QUESTION to let them know you're running a bit behind and to set another date in the near future.

If you click on the Edexcel logo, opposite, the link will take you directly to the course specification for the BTEC Level 2 Award in Event Support.

If you have a general query that doesn't appear in this section then you can contact us by clicking on 'let us know' above. We will respond to you and, if appropriate, post your question as a general one and as a help to other learners.

If your question is specific to your learning then you should contact your college.

Sorry - we can't enter into correspondence about your personal assessment profile. It is the college's job to do this and you should contact your tutor.