As I'm nearing the end of my exams I'm having to look for things to do over the exceptionally long summer break. It's highly unlikely that I'll find paid work (I'm only available for 12 weeks over the summer, and I don't particularly fancy working in a shop somewhere - besides, I already have a job as a student ambassador), so I've been looking for voluntary work to do. I already volunteer for my local branch of the Parkinson's Disease Society and next year I'm hoping to work for Headway (a brain injury charity), so I've been trying to look for something a little different. Initially, I looked for mentoring positions, then writing positions and goodness knows what other random stuff. Then it hit me: I want to become a marshal.
I had looked up marshalling positions before, however I never got round to registering with anyone. As I'm now left with a lot of free time in between revision, I figured I'd sign up and see what happens. Obviously, marshalling's not going to keep me occupied for the whole 12 weeks I have free, but it's definitely something to look forward to.
Being a marshal seems like a great opportunity to get involved with motorsport for very little cost. You get to attend race meetings for free and you're much more a part of the racing than if you go and spectate. All round, marshalling seems to be a good thing to so - without the marshals the events don't run, so everyone benefits. Also, for someone my age it seems like a good thing to put on the CV - I had my current CV assessed and by demonstrating my interest in motorsport it added an extra dimension and made me seem less of an academic nerd. By marshalling, I get to demonstrate that I am actively involved in voluntary work, as well as showing my interest and dedication to motorsport.
If you're into motorsport I think you should give marshalling a go at least once in your lifetime. If you're interested, then look at the British Motorsport Marshals' Club. They offer taster days (which is what I've registered for) and training, so all you need to do is be interested in motorsport and they'll help you with the rest!
