Budding commentator flourishes in Swim England volunteer role

As part of National Volunteers Week, we focus on how one student gained valuable experience by giving up his spare time to help out at a Swim England event.

For University of Manchester student Charlie Benny, a role at the 2018 Swim England Water Polo National Age Group Championships provided the perfect platform to kick start his career.

The 19-year-old was invited by Swim England’s National Water Polo Manager and Head of Volunteering to commentate on the Under 15 championships, following a formal application process.

As a competitive water polo player for his home club, Brighton SC, and his university team, University of Manchester Water Polo, Charlie felt right at home behind the microphone.

Here for the 2nd day as commentator for the @Water_Polo_Dev youth national championships 🤽🏻‍♂️🤽🏻‍♀️🎤 pic.twitter.com/VV5Hn1I4xo

— Charlie Benny (@CharlieBenny25) October 14, 2018

He said: “I have always loved water polo and wanted to contribute more widely to the sport.

“When this opportunity came up, I thought it would be a brilliant challenge.

“I had never done any commentary work before and the experience has had a really positive impact on my development.

“It has allowed me to realise my potential and develop a range of skills, from writing to tight deadlines to confidently addressing large numbers of people.

“Journalism is a hard sector to break into. It’s difficult to find someone who believes in you and is willing to trust you to produce, which is why I am so pleased I was able to get involved with Swim England, who have been wholly encouraging, inspiring and helpful.”

Charlie is now an integral member of Swim England’s committed workforce and has been invited to support the organisations events and volunteering teams at a number of national water polo events in 2019.

If you’re inspired by Charlie’s story and want to get involved in event volunteering, get in touch with Swim England’s regional teams to find out about young volunteer development opportunities.