Alex Turnbull
CVA Alumni
Alex is a Loughborough CVA alumni who began volunteering with the CVA in 2014 as a Sport Sec for Rigg-Rut Hall. Throughout the next 5 years he spent at Loughborough, he got involved in a range of volunteering roles, such as Athletic Union Events Officer, Athletic Union Club Development Mentor, Hall Sport Coordinator Chair and an inaugural Sport Senate member. Since graduating from Loughborough in 2017 he has had full time roles as the Athletic Union Intern, Sport Development Officer and now has the role of Head of Partnerships for Add-Victor!
Tell us a bit about yourself (what you do now, current job, career pathway, interests, background etc.)
I’m currently based down in London, working as Head of Partnerships for an organisation called add-victor that provides support, development and employment opportunities for athletes and still love competing in sport whilst playing football for Old Blues FC.
I love working with a wide range of individuals and organisations, so would like to continue my journey within partnerships to positively contribute to those who participate and compete in sport in the best way I can. I started my full-time employment journey as Athletic Union Intern and became a Sport Development Officer, roles that greatly improved my ability to innovate and think strategically about how to improve sporting performance and experience. To complement this, I also volunteer as Partnerships Manager for English Universities Sport, looking to further develop the experience leading student-athletes have within the high-performance national pathway.
How did you first get involved in volunteering within sport at Loughborough?
My first engagement came as Sport Secretary for Rigg-Rut Hall, an experience I loved and a role that to-this-day has been my most developmental!
During your time at Loughborough, what volunteering roles did you get involved with?
I had many roles throughout my 5 years at Loughborough, including Hall Sport Secretary, Athletic Union Events Officer, Athletic Union Club Development Mentor, Hall Sport Coordinator Chair and an inaugural Sport Senate member. These allowed me to get involved in organising large scale events, managing a team of volunteers and a first-hand experience of the operations behind running one of the biggest student sport operations in the country.
What has your experience volunteering been like whilst at Loughborough?
Volunteering in sport at Loughborough was my most significant experience to date, some memorable highlights include, hosting incredible Athletic Union Ball events, winning Male Sport Secretary of the Year 2014 and engaging with knowledgeable, friendly and supportive staff.
How has being involved with Loughborough Sport helped you develop and progress (personally and professionally)?
I could list a thousand areas Loughborough Sport helped me to develop, to note a few key ones; the ability to effectively and confidently communicate with a wide range of individuals, the importance of being organised, structured and composed when running events, and crucially the value in being innovative, coming up with unique solutions to problems and not being afraid to try something new if there is clear rationale and value!
What’s the best advice you could give to a Loughborough student looking to get involved in volunteering & gain the most out of their university experiences?
Start by trying something you’re passionate about and get to know the staff along the way, they’ll help guide you into roles that will suit and develop you well – every role will provide you with personal value and give you a sense of fulfilment in some way!
Finally, what did you enjoy most about volunteering?
Having the opportunity to lead projects and being given opportunities that wouldn’t usually be available to individuals of my level of experience, the guidance and trust to have an impact was reassuring, fulfilling and incredibly helpful.