Volunteer

We’re a charity, and volunteering at HHV helps us keep cycling accessible and enjoyable for all. We couldn’t do all that we do at Herne Hill Velodrome without volunteers.

Volunteering at HHV can look like everything from race marshalling, helping in the cafe, to getting qualified to coach cyclists of all ages and abilities. It could mean sparing an hour or two each week or month or just for a one off task or event: every bit of volunteering gives back to our community and supports the velodrome and its future.

Volunteering opportunities

Racing support & Commissaires

Volunteering at one of our many racing events is a brilliant way to be right in the thick of the action while helping riders push themselves to their limits. No experience needed. Scroll down for more.

Cafe

Volunteering in our iconic Jan’s Café during events at Herne Hill Velodrome is a front-row seat to the action with a refreshing twist. You’ll be right at the heart of the buzz: serving drinks to riders, spectators, and fellow volunteers, keeping everyone fuelled and smiling. Email cafe@hernehillvelodrome.com if you want to help!

Friends of Herne Hill velodrome

mechanics

The Friends of Herne Hill Velodrome (FHHV) is our fundraising arm and an inclusive cycling club, based at HHV. They also lend a hand at our big annual events like the Fireworks, or South London Grand Prix. Membership offers various benefits, including discounts at local retailers, and access to the HHV track league. The FHHV raises funds for HHV through merchandise sales, as well as organising various events and hosts volunteering opportunities throughout the year.

Check out their website to join as a member, or buy FHHV merch.

Coach at HHV

For riders of all ages, getting a coaching qualification and helping us run our many community-based sessions is a rewarding way to give back to the community. Read more below, and get in touch if you’re interested.

Other

We try to make hire bikes available for all sessions to make it easy for anyone to access the velodrome. Maintaining the hire bike fleet takes a lot of work, and we rely on volunteers to keep our bikes in good shape. If you’re a keen home mechanic, handy with a spanner, or want to learn more, please get in touch via mechanics@hernehillvelodrome.com

Commentating, being a Tandem pilot or even Gardening – we have a long list of other activities that would help us out. Or get in touch to discuss your own idea.

Racing support

**Volunteering at one of our many racing events is a brilliant way to be right in the thick of the action while helping riders push themselves to their limits.** There’s a real buzz on race day: the whirr of wheels, the cheer of the crowd, and the camaraderie among volunteers all make it feel special. Whether you’re ringing the bell for the final lap or capturing a photo finish, every role matters and adds to the excitement.

Join us as race support and:
Help keep races running smoothly by noting down finishing orders and inputting results
Be at the heart of the action as a lap board flipper & bell-ringer - crucial communication tools for the racers.
Support safety and flow as a gate/crossing marshal or general corner marshal (crits and cyclocross)
Try your hand at timing races and learning how events are run behind the scenes
Welcome riders at sign-on and be one of the first friendly faces they see
Play a part in the drama as a rider eliminator for some of our track races
Be part of a friendly, supportive community and make a real difference to every event

Volunteer at one of our races or events

**Commissaires**

Our races couldn’t run without the support of qualified commissaires. It’s a commitment to the sport and commissaires are some of our favourite people. Find out more about commissairing here, and contact us to let us know about your interest. We can help facilitate the necessary volunteering opportunities to put you on the right track to getting your qualifications.

Coaching support

For riders of all ages, getting a coaching qualification and helping us run our many community-based sessions is a rewarding way to give back to the community.

Get in touch to see what opportunities might be suited to you - we particularly need help with coaching on evenings and weekends.
We pay for the qualification as long as you can commit to volunteer a number of coaching hours by shadowing our current coaches and learning more about what makes a great coach: the qualification is just a starting point, the real quality comes with practice!
You can learn to be a coach from the age of 14
Volunteer coaching can often lead to paid work, particularly if you’re available on evenings and weekends.
Volunteer coaches can provide extra assistance to sessions that would need more coaches than is financially viable, for example Para Cycling sessions, helping make cycling accessible to more people.

Email: coaching@hernehillvelodrome.com to express interest and find out more.