Winner of the 2022 Australian Sailing Volunteer of the Year Award, Peter Kinsman makes an extraordinary contribution as a volunteer at Rye Yacht Club (RYC) and has done so for more than the ten years. Known as the club ‘handyman’, Peter volunteers across multiple roles and is always happy to volunteer his time no matter the situation or challenge.
An advocate for volunteering, Peter is adamant that the work is worth it, and is proud to work with fellow volunteers at RYC to promote sailing within the local community.
“Volunteering is a way of giving back to the community, and you get to meet and work with a lot of interesting and passionate people. Our club is completely run by volunteers, so everyone’s efforts help make sailing more accessible for a wide variety of people,” he said.
“Everyone at RYC wants to get along, improve the club and give back to the community, and it’s very easily to volunteer when you’re doing it with such likeminded people.”
Peter currently holds the positions of Secretary and Registrar on the Club Executive Committee, is a member of the Sailing School Committee and actively takes part in all Discover Sailing Centre programs.
“It’s really great to play a role in teaching people how to sail. For the old socks, learning to sail is usually the first time they’ve done something for themselves in a long time. Often their kids are all grown up and to see them come down, participate, enjoy and ultimately join our close community is fantastic.
“It’s also so fulfilling to see kids learn to sail and see them form relationships with fantastic role models within our community,” said Peter.
Working across multiple roles, the most rewarding part of volunteering for Peter is simple: seeing club programs run and seeing people enjoy them.
“Seeing people benefit from the work we’re doing is great. It’s also fantastic when we can do something that makes life easier for other volunteers at the club,” Peter began.
“It feels a little like giving forward. We do our best to reinvigorate the club, look to the future and care for our volunteers while promoting sailing and its benefits.”
When asked what he would say to someone considering volunteering for the first time, Peter said the best thing to do is just ‘bite the bullet’.
“Have a think about what you can offer the club and volunteer in whatever capacity you can. Everyone has something they can offer a club and you just need to take that first step, make a start and grow from there.”
On behalf of everyone involved in the sport, Australian Sailing thanks Peter for his contribution.
If Peter’s story has inspired you to start volunteering, get in touch with your local club and let them know you’re interested! Don’t know who to contact, find a club in your local area today.
