With 2022 upon us, have you thought about volunteering as part of your New Years resolution?

Volunteering is not only a good thing to do in helping others, but can also be incredibly rewarding for the person who volunteers.

Here's community-minded teenager Sam Johnson on why volunteering is a Good Thing.

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What makes being a part of Hitchin Town Football Club's groundstaff worthwhile?

Since my father encouraged me to come along approximately two years ago, I have been a member of the volunteer groundstaff at Hitchin Town Football Club, and have attempted to help out when and where I can.

I personally find it to be a very rewarding and pleasurable experience on the days when I have the time to help.

One of the reasons that I, and the rest of the groundstaff, find the role to be so rewarding is best summed up by the head groundsman Steve Barker (who celebrated 30 years of service to the club last month).

He said the best part was 'seeing the finished product on match day and hearing the accolades for our work.'

For me, knowing that I can be a small part of something that is enjoyed by hundreds of locals, as well as those who travel from away, is the most rewarding thing.

Another thing that is great about being a member of the groundstaff is the fact that all the volunteers get on well with each other, even if we work hard, and often in less than ideal conditions, such as rain and mud, we can still keep our spirits high.

Rupert Russell, a member of the team, describes it as 'often being more fun than watching the game.

All of the groundstaff committed a lot of time during the Covid restrictions in both 2020, and 2021, which was a time where the cameraderie of the team 'probably helped us all through lockdown, in the words of my father.

It was also a time where the volunteer team grew, as new members joined, such as Steve Monk, a member for 18 months who became a member 'to do something more outside of work.'

A reasoning that mirrored my own, as it gave me something, and somewhere, different, which helped me deal with the less than pleasurable experience of lockdown learning.

The lockdowns also saw great progress made at the club, as new metal terracing, as well as a new fixture board, was brought in, something that I am very proud to say I helped with.

Despite this, there are drawbacks, for most, it is the worms. As Marek puts it, 'the worms cause so many issues. The public never see this side of it… they think we just cut grass

Worms have unfortunately been a pain for the groundstaff team, and have created a great inconvenience and expense for the club with the damage they do to the pitch.

However, as someone who works mostly from a school desk and not in a physical job, the hands-on nature of the role is something that I can often find exhausting.

In terms of the future, I hope that many more young people will become involved with the local football club, as with many of the current team approaching their 70s, some new recruits are needed.

Interestingly, Steve Barker comments that he can "see the club appointing a full-time groundsman in the future if it installs a 3G pitch as these need as much if not more maintenance than a grass one."

I would encourage anyone looking for something to do for the community to consider becoming a part of the volunteer team at Hitchin Town Football Club.