Allocate a Volunteer Covid officer to your group

By Julie Rand
Get ready for a return to group riding by allocating a volunteer Covid officer. Photo by Joolze Dymond
As we return to regular group cycling and restrictions have been eased throughout the UK, groups in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are strongly advised to allocate a volunteer Covid officer to help them be prepared. In Scotland, this will be a requirement for any organised group activity

Cycling UK has all the resources and training you need for a safe return to group cycling activity, as restrictions permit.

What is involved in the volunteer Covid officer role?

The volunteer Covid officer will help the group oversee and implement public health and safety measures to help it operate in a safe manner.

They will do this by:

  • Undertaking nation-specific coronavirus training offered by Cycling UK (Note: there is one module for Scotland, one covering England and Northern Ireland, and one for Wales for which there is a small charge).
  • Being the main point of contact for their group with regards to coronavirus
  • Keeping up-to-date with the latest Coronavirus Guidance from Cycling UK and the relevant guidance from their own nation
  • Ensuring club policies and procedures are updated in relation to coronavirus
  • Ensuring the group has appropriate processes in place, such as keeping accurate records of attendees and risk assessments of specific activities
  • Ensuring there is awareness among your group of coronavirus protocols
  • Encouraging members and participants take individual responsibility and undertake Covid-19 awareness training provided by Cycling UK where appropriate

A helpful role

This will be a helpful role in returning to organised group activities and those who take it on will have an opportunity to develop their skills and experience in organisation and group management, as well as ensuring riders enjoy the safest possible return to cycling together as a group.

The coronavirus training offered by Cycling UK gives the knowledge and confidence to Covid officers to help groups operate in a safe manner

Tim Newbery, Covid officer for Cycling UK Lincolnshire

Tim Newbery, Chair of Cycling UK Lincolnshire, who has undertaken the Covid-19 Awareness Training and is also now Covid officer for the group, says:

"Cycling UK Lincolnshire members are very much looking forward to returning to group riding. The camaraderie, friendship and support are key to enjoying our riding and maintaining wellbeing.

"The coronavirus training offered by Cycling UK gives the knowledge and confidence to Covid officers to help groups operate in a safe manner. Indeed, the training would appear to exceed what would be required of a group. The step-by-step training modules and assessment are easy to follow and a co-ordinated approach, I’m sure, will be beneficial."

Christopher Ince of Elgin CC took the Scotland-specific training says: "If your club or group are a little reticent about getting out again, do make sure someone takes on the role of a Covid officer, completes the training course and can therefore encourage, reassure and help your members return to the joy of group cycling.

How to access Covid training

Volunteer Covid officers will need to complete Covid training which can be accessed in our volunteer platform Assemble. To access the training, log in to Assemble, go to your profile details (top right of the screen) and click on Training to see all available modules. 

How to apply

  • If you are an existing volunteer, ask your Cycling UK Member Group secretary, or main contact if you are from an affiliated group, to log in to our volunteer platform Assemble and add the Covid officer role to your profile.
  • If you are a secretary or main contact yourself, decide who you think would be most suitable to take on the role and, after consultation with them, add the Covid officer role to their profile on Assemble. Note that you cannot allocate the role to yourself on Assemble so contact the the Volunteering Team, who can do it for you. 
  • If you are not from a group currently affiliated to Cycling UK, please contact the Volunteering Team if you have any questions about this or any other role. 

Volunteer in other roles

If you would like to help millions of other people to get cycling in the UK, please see our Volunteering Opportunities.

Coronavirus Volunteering for Cycling UK Local groups and cycling clubs

Further reading