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No, not at all. We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds.

All volunteers are required to complete sport-related Safeguarding before they begin. You will also complete a general induction on Special Olympic as part of the registration process. Once registered, you'll have access to a range of modules on our Learning Management System (LMS), along with other optional courses to support your volunteer journey.

As often as you're able!  Club volunteering typically involves a commitment of about 1 or 2 hours per week or every two weeks. Event volunteering is more flexible, you can volunteer once a year or several times a year, it's up to you and your availability.

For club volunteering use our Club Finder to locate a club near you and reach out directly to see how you can get involved.

For other volunteering or if there isn’t a club nearby, complete our Expression of Interest Form, and a member of our regional team will contact you to discuss volunteering opportunities with you.

Once you're ready to move forward, you'll need to create a membership profile on our online system, JustGo, and submit your volunteer application. As part of this process, you’ll complete Garda vetting and the required safeguarding training.

When all steps are completed and approved, you’ll receive confirmation that you’re officially eligible to volunteer with us.

Yes, volunteers must be at least 15 years old.

We encourage you to let us know your interests, skills, and any relevant experience, and we’ll do our best to match you with a suitable role. However, some roles may have specific requirements, in these cases we’ll work with you to explore opportunities where you can get involved, gain experience, and build the skills needed for the role.

If you're volunteering within a club or as an athlete mentor through the Athlete Leadership Programme, you’ll be directly volunteering with the athletes.  At events, your role may or may not involve direct interaction, it will be dependant on what role you have been assigned on the day.

Yes. Garda vetting is required as part of the registration process, and you will be required to undergo vetting every three years thereafter.

You don’t need prior experience just a caring, respectful, and supportive attitude to help athletes achieve their goals. We believe that empathy and willingness to help are just as important as experience.

To help you feel confident in your role, we offer training through our Learning Management System, including modules such as “Guidance on Communicating with a Person with an Intellectual Disability.” These resources are designed to give you practical tools and insights to support athletes effectively.

We're committed to providing a positive and enjoyable environment for all of our volunteers. We truly value the time, effort and enthusiasm volunteers give and we want to ensure we do all we can to support you in your volunteering. 

• Volunteer Forms
• Applicant Volunteers
• Volunteer How-to Guides
• Opportunities