Volunteering
"Well frankly, being a fulltime volunteer was the best job I ever had." Anon survey response 2009
"The best thing is engaging with 1,000 very motivated/enthusiastic and happy people." Anon survey response 2009
- Why volunteer?
- What you get
- How does it work?
- Types of volunteers
- Choosing your volunteer team
- Handy info
- How to apply
- I've applied, what's next?
Join the Volunteer Team
Volunteering on Cycle Queensland is about camaraderie, teamwork, friendship and fun. Join our crew and take delight in making the state's largest recreational cycling tour happen.
In 2009 97% of volunteers were very satisfied or satisfied with their experience on Cycle Queensland.
Volunteers are the wheels that keep Cycle Queensland in motion. Applications open soon!
Why volunteer?
- Volunteering is free and fun (we transport & feed you on the event)
- The satisfaction and smiles at the end of the day
- Experience regional Queensland
- Camaraderie
- Meet new friends
- Learn new skills
- Be part of an adventure - without riding
- 100% appreciation by the riders
Share your Volunteering!
Volunteering is enjoyable but you can make it better by bringing friends or relatives. It's a great way to bond with family and friends.
What you get:
- A great experience
- Two Cycle Queensland 2010 volunteer polo shirts
- Hat, water bottle and sunscreen
- All meals (including lunch on the rest day)
- Transport to and from the event (full time vollies only - conditions apply)
- "TLC Camping" (tent supplied and put up for you) for "early-bird" volunteers. More information on TLC.
- Dedicated volunteer luggage truck
- Invite to the volunteer party and other great rewards
- Bikes ... BYO helmet so you can use our small fleet of bikes to explore the towns in your leisure time
- Photo DVD of the ride (including more than 400 hi-res images plus riders and crew)
How does it work?
- All volunteers are placed in a team for the event and assigned to a Team Leader
- Tell us which teams would suit you best and we will try to place you accordingly
- Start and finish times vary, but you are generally on duty for 8 hours each day
- You can attend briefing sessions before the ride to get all the information you will need
- You are covered by our insurance
- Campsites are smoke-free environments
Types of Volunteers
Full-time volunteers:
- Are exempt from event entry fees.
- Do not ride in the event and are available for the full duration of the ride.
- Are on duty approximately 8 hours each day.
- Are required from Day 1 until the end of Day 9. Some volunteers by special arrangement are needed for 1 or 2 days before and after the event - please advise your availability.
Riding (part-time) volunteers:
- Are those who wish to ride in Cycle Queensland but want to devote some of their spare non-riding time in helping out with volunteer tasks.
- Pay the full entry fee. A refund of up to $200 is paid after the event, upon satisfactory completion of assigned tasks.
- Work up to 3 (typically only 2) hours each day for a total of 16 hours. This may be in the morning, afternoon or evening.
- Must be fit enough to cycle and work in the same day.
- Are rostered to allow for cycling activities.
Part-time positions are limited and only available for a few teams.
Handy Information
For all the information you need, read the CQ Handbook.
How do I get there?
You can get to the start and home again by road, rail or air. Scheduled services in combination with our charter services and specially arranged car parks make the journey hassle free. Have a look at the Getting There and Back info sheet for some great travel options.
Bicycle Queensland will also fly a limited number of volunteers from Brisbane to Rockhampton before the event on our pre booked flights.
Full time volunteers can travel for free on any of the event transport listed on the application form - all you need to do is get yourself to the departure point.
There are special offers for volunteers who need greater flexibility in travel arrangements. You should make your own arrangements but may be eligible for assistance of up to $150. View the Travel Reimbursement info sheet.
If you are driving to the event you are welcome to use the Bundaberg or Rockhampton car parks but will need to pay the same as the riders. Please remember, you cannot bring your own vehicle on the event unless specifically agreed with the Event Coordinator in advance.
Riding Volunteers will need to make their own way to the event and need to complete their transport options on their ride entry form.
Advance Crew
Some volunteers are needed to help set-up the first campsite in Rockhampton. Please advise if you are available and want to be part of this critical crew. Full-time volunteers from any team are welcome. The Advance Crew will arrive in Rockhampton on Thursday 2 September. We also need people who are available until late on the final day to help pack up the Gin Gin campsite and the Bundaberg finish site. Let us know if you are interested.
Accommodation
During the event, there is a special area set aside for volunteer camping. Bring your own tent or apply early to secure the TLC camping option.
To make things a little more comfortable for volunteers, we are offering TLC camping (availability is limited). We will supply a tent, put it up for you in the volunteer camping area each day and pack it up the next morning.
This will free you to spend more time relaxing and enjoying all there is to offer on the campsite and around town.
TLC camping is available to volunteers who sign up before 31/05/10 unless it is filled before this date. You will still need to bring a sleeping mat and sleeping bag.
To make sure as many volunteers as possible get to take advantage of TLC Camping, you need to share your tent with one other person. You can team up with a friend or we'll match you up with a tent buddy (same gender and age group). We have larger tents available for volunteers with tall and/or large bodies. Of course, you can still bring your own tent if you prefer to go it solo.
Team Leaders are people who enjoy that extra challenge, can devote some time before the event and want the extra satisfaction of being more intimately involved in a successful event. No previous experience is needed, just a positive approach and a desire to learn. Team Leaders get a TLC Camping tent of their own.
If you are interested please contact the Volunteer Coordinator.
Insurance
You will be covered by public liability insurance as well as voluntary workers insurance while you are working and as long as you are performing within the scope of your role.
Who can volunteer?
Anyone aged 18 or over, physically able to look after themselves and perform the tasks required. People with all sorts of skills are required, however, you don't need to have any special qualifications for most teams. We look for people who are friendly, positive, self-motivated and who show initiative.
Apply to become a Cycle Queensland volunteer online or by downloading the application form.
There will be briefings in the months before the ride with information for confirmed and potential volunteers. Stay tuned to find out more about these.
Sign up before 31 May 2010 to be eligible for TLC camping.
I've Applied - What happens next?
After you've applied we will send an acknowledgement of the application. We will then assess your application - we may contact you as part of this assessment. Confirmation of acceptance will occur as soon as we have definitely placed you in a team. There will be a volunteer briefing in Brisbane in the months before the ride. If you need to confirm leave or travel arrangements before you receive a confirmation then please let us know. Volunteers will be supplied with a Handbook and event specific details before the event.
Choosing your volunteer team
There is a huge range of roles for you to choose from and, for most, you don't need any special skills. You could be screening movies, serving food, putting up marquees or keeping the cyclists heading in the right direction. All teams have a Team Leader to support them and plan the roster. Read below to help work out your first, second and third team preferences. The headings below in blue are links to PDF containing complete role descriptions for each team.
It is important to be flexible during the event as at times you may need to assist other teams or be moved to another team to cover changing needs.
Marshals keep the cyclists heading in the right direction, warn them of hazards and generally support them on their ride. Have fun with humorous interaction with the riders and plenty of encouragement. Days can be long and always outside.
The Sign Crew ensures the route is identified and the traffic aware so the riders don't lose their way and the motorists are careful. This crew starts early in the morning and then collects the signs again at the end of the day.
The Sag Wagon travels behind the last rider and picks up any weary or injured riders and bikes. Plenty of encouragement needed and good people skills. Water & Rubbish are needed & produced along the route. For cyclists, water is life, and like everybody they produce rubbish.
Mobile Town
This all-action team sets up the campsite each day using signs, flags and conversation to efficiently direct support crews, vehicles and cyclists to the correct areas of the campsite. You'll also control access at the site entries. It's our home so it needs to look good and be planned well. Each site is different so your problem solving is new every day.
Put up marquees, load trucks and coordinate equipment. This team builds the site each day from the ground up. A job for those who like manual work and a great team environment.
Keep the campsite alive with power, water and wastewater. Set up specialist equipment unique to the event for dishwashing and laundry. Being fit and handy are good attributes and you will get dirty.
Riders load and unload their luggage at each campsite but they need encouragement and light-hearted direction. Some bag-lifting involved.
We try to minimise it, but rubbish is a reality. This team distributes and maintains bins around the site and keeps the campsite clean. We like to impress the towns we go through by leaving a spotless site. Catering and Cafe at meal times is where most of the action is.
Meet the riders as you serve them breakfast and dinner prepared by our chefs. A great meal served with a smiling face makes people happy. Assist with preparation of lunch and dinner each day and help with the kitchen wash-up.
Serve drinks and snacks in our licensed café. Serve customers, maintain stock and assist with the set-up each day. This is where the cyclists put their feet up from mid afternoon to 9.30pm.
This team puts up tents for those riders who really want to relax. Good exercise and a great team environment.
The font of all knowledge about the event and the local town. People come here for directions, help and information. We run a small shop selling all those things people forget, lose or break. This happy, helpful team gets to meet all the participants.
Rejuvenating the troops
These crews keep the volunteers and riders happy and healthy.
Doctors, physios, nurses and paramedics are needed for this team to work with the support of St John Ambulance. The team covers the route and campsite for mainly minor injuries and ailments. Doctors and physios are also able to ride and volunteer. Call BQ for more details and the great incentives.
We try to provide the opportunity for riders and volunteers to have a 15-minute therapeutic massage on the ride. Team members need to have massage qualifications or be in training. Your hands will do their thing for 6 hours a day.
If you're into fun and excitement then this is the team for you. Screening movies, coordinating live bands and background music, organising the parties and competitions will allow you to dispense Good Times to all. Plenty of creative spirits and improvisation here.
Working with the volunteer coordinator, this team makes sure our volunteers have smiles on their faces and also sets up the TLC camping.
This team keeps the whole event ticking over. Diversity is normal and mundane it's not. Physical sometimes and cerebral too. Communicative, trouble shooting, democratic and autocratic - but always caring.
Start / Finish
There are large lumps in our workload on the first day and last day in Toowoomba so there are opportunities for locals or rider friends and family to help out. There are a huge variety of small and large tasks so we're sure to have something that suits you.
Odds and Ends (in Brisbane)
There are a huge variety of small and large tasks to be completed pre & post-ride. Please let us know if you can help.
