Volunteer Profile - Gerry Trainer

What is your proudest moment/memory of being a volunteer?

As a member of the CS Athletics Association committee, I am responsible for the organisation of two of our national championships, the 10K road race at Battersea and the national cross country races. It is a great feeling to watch a couple of hundred runners set off knowing that your efforts have made that possible.

How did you get involved in volunteering for CSSC?

I joined CSSC when I started work with the Inland Revenue in the seventies and was soon running for the civil service in representative athletics matches which, in those days, were against the Army and Navy and the British universities. I then became involved in organising CS Athletics at local level in the Midlands, before being invited on to the national committee of the CSAA.

What do you do as a CSSC volunteer?

My involvement is and always has been with athletics. I manage the CS cross country team which competes in the Midlands Services Cross Country League and I am also chairman of the CSAA with, as I mentioned, responsibility for the 10K and cross country championships. I also help out at our other events, which include track & field, road relays and race walking so you can find yourself doing anything from raking a long jump pit to standing out on the course acting as a steward to helping put the results together after the event. There is plenty of variety.

What are the best bits about volunteering for CSSC (and the worst bits)?

There is a huge amount of satisfaction to be had from playing a part in helping people to do something which they enjoy. With so much pressure on in the workplace, you have no doubt that through volunteering you are contributing to the health and well being of your colleagues. The worst bits always come when it rains on your event. Surprisingly, those days are few and far between.

What has kept you involved as a volunteer with CSSC?

The friendship and support that I have had from our committee and from the team at headquarters and the appreciation and thanks you get from the athletes, and that description covers those who are out training seven days a week to the occasional joggers, all of whom get involved in civil service athletics.

What would you say to other people who might want to get involved in volunteering.

I would say that it is a great way to enhance both your working and personal lives. Whatever your interest, there is a wealth of support and encouragement waiting for you and your contribution will be well appreciated.

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