Volunteer team and assistant leader guide

Your match day leader pack

What’s a Men United Match Day?

This season we expect to have a presence at over 70 matches in The Football League, Premier League and Wembley Cup Finals – from February to May 2017.

Our match days include:

  • A collection before the match
  • Managers wearing our pin badge
  • Stories in the programme and on the club’s social media/website
  • Tannoy announcements

Many games will also include:

  • Players walking out in scarves
  • A Prostate Cancer UK Guest of Honour leading out the teams
  • Local/regional media coverage
  • Tickets to the game for volunteers

Your responsibilities

As Team Leader you’re pivotal to the match day’s success. Your key responsibilities include:

  • Helping to recruit collectors ahead of the game. We will also be recruiting directly, so it’s not all on your shoulders.
  • Touching base with the club and your team of collectors a few days ahead of the game to make sure everyone’s clear on the arrangements. We will send the club all the information beforehand, but it’s prudent to double-check.
  • Arriving early on match day to meet your club contact and prepare materials ready for your team to arrive.
  • Meeting and greeting your team members, issuing them with materials and briefing them on what to do.
  • Collecting up all the materials after the collection, thanking your team and issuing their match tickets.
  • Counting the money and safely paying it in to the Prostate Cancer UK bank account.

Why we need you on the team

We are proud and honoured to have you on our team, Men United. We know when people get together to support us with their friends and family this season they’ll have a great time while helping us beat prostate cancer.

That’s what Men United is all about. A movement for everyone who believes that men are worth fighting for. And having a good time doing it.

With you on the team we can build a movement to take action on men’s health further than we’ve ever gone before. We’ll reach over 500,000 fans in The English Football League this season. And reach our Men United match day target of £75,000 to fund our work. We also know the impact we can make on the ground with the support of you and your team to keep us in the minds of fans up and down the country for years to come.

Movember Duo

Three weeks to go

Prepare early

Make sure you are ready to lead the Men United Match Day by preparing early.

• Read through the match-specific briefing which we will send to you.

• Check if your match includes free tickets to the game (most will but not all do).

• If possible ask a friend or family member to be your ‘assistant leader’. Let us know if you want our help to find someone.

• Start recruiting! Get your friends, family, and colleagues to join you. They can sign up at prostatecanceruk.org/matchdays and we’ll also aim to recruit people in your area directly. We’re looking for teams of 12-20 volunteers at every match so everyone you can get on board counts!

• Take a look at our dedicated match day resources page on which includes recruitment posters, handy hints and tips on recruiting and collecting on the day, do’s and don’t when fundraising, and how to keep you and your team safe.

Movember Duo

Two weeks to go

Getting to know your team

Evidence has shown that for a successful match day collection it is important you get to know your collection team and club contact before the day. With two weeks to go please ensure you:

• Touch base with them and introduce yourself, and double check they are still available for the day. We will send you a list of volunteers and their contact information who will be joining you on the day as part of your collection team. 

• Call the club contact provided, introduce yourself and if you both have time arrange to meet prior to collection day. This is so you can familiarise yourself with the surroundings and plan key collection locations, discuss health and safety for match day and the evacuation process.

Movember Duo

Five days to go

The warm up

• Call the club contact and double-check the logistics for the day and check they’ve received their box of materials.

• Make sure you have a plan for taking the money home.

• Call your collection team and Assistant Leader to confirm the plan. Let the collection team know what was raised last season and set targets for match day.

• Check in with your Volunteer Support Officer (VSO) on developments with the collection and to see what other Prostate Cancer UK activity is happening on match day. If you're not sure who your VSO is, contact [email protected].

We’ll also be sending briefings to all the members of your team. Please contact your Volunteer Support Officer at any time if you have any questions or concerns.

Movember Duo

One day to go

Pre-match preparation

• Get all your paperwork ready – this document, your match-specific briefing, letters of authority for your collection team and your team contact details.
• Plan your journey to the ground.
• Plan your journey home.
• If you have an assistant leader helping you, liaise with them to confirm information for collection day (tomorrow).

NB: If you need copies printed and sent to you in the post please contact your Volunteer Support Officer no later than a week before the collection.

We’ll be sending each club a box of materials in advance, including:

• Buckets, with lids and seals
• Tabards for volunteers (black for team and assistant leaders, white for fundraisers)
• Coin bags and paying in slips for you to bank the money
• Man of men stickers
• Pocket cards and other awareness materials. Please refer to the resources page of our website where you will find useful information for the day such as banking instructions and pay slips.

On the day: step by step

  • Meet your club contact.
  • Ask them to show you the best places to collect.
  • Ask about collecting in hospitality areas too – often the most lucrative!
  • Confirm other details: where are the toilets, evacuation point if needed, when and where will you collect tickets from?
  • Prepare materials for the collection by sticking seals on the buckets and laying-out the tabards. Please refer to our resources page for detailed instructions.
  • Your team arrives ready for action.
  • Give them buckets and tabards (black tabards for leader and assistant leader, white tabards for fundraisers).
  • Where possible pair the volunteers up.
  • Brief them on where to collect and what to say.
  • Arrange where you will meet back – 10 minutes before kick off.
  • Check that the collectors are ok, in correct locations, happy, or need any assistance.
  • Hand out awareness literature, if the club permits this.
  • Return to base to meet up with your collectors.
  • Tick off the volunteers as they return and start to put all the money in one bucket.
  • Thank all the volunteers and give them their match ticket (if available).
  • Repack the empty buckets and tabards into the original box and give them to the club contact to return to us after the match – we’ll arrange collection the following week.
  • Either take the money off site or leave it in a secure place agreed with the club contact (more info).

How to brief your team

Once your team has arrived, give them a short team-talk.

  • Remind them why they’re helping.
  • Work in pairs if possible.
  • It may be quiet to begin with – but it will get busier.
  • Say thank you to the supporters who donate and tell them to enjoy the game.
  • Don’t worry if a lot of people refuse to donate, or ignore you – don’t take it personally!
  • Make sure your tabard and your bucket are visible at all times. And don’t shake it aggressively as it’s not allowed.
  • If supporters would like more information, hand them a pocket card and direct them to the website and our Specialist Nurses.
  • Be polite but vocal. Try the suggested phrases below or create your own.
  • Run through the Fundraiser Musts document with the collection team.
  • If you need a break, then take one. Please let the Team Leader (you) know.
  • Take a look at our tried and tested lines for inspiration.
  • Call the Team Leader (you) if there are any problems. If you experience any abuse, tell a club steward immediately.
  • Meet back 15 minutes before kick off, where you’ll give them their match ticket (if available).
  • Good luck – let’s raise a lot of money, let everyone know we’re here and help save men’s lives!

The risk infographic is an easy way to remember the key risk factors which can be passed on to your team.

After the match

Thank you! With your help we’re raising money and awareness among thousands of men across the country. The money you raise will help fund vital research and services throughout the UK to help more men survive prostate cancer. Without the support of volunteers like you we wouldn’t be able to continue our lifesaving work.

It is your responsibility as Team Leader to count the money and safely pay it into the Prostate Cancer UK bank account. This can take some planning, so it’s important to work out how you’ll do this ahead of the game.

You must count the money with another person present, and separate coins and notes into the individual coin bags provided. Place all the coin bags into the security bag and write the total amount on the security bag, your cash collection sheet and your bank paying-in slip. Both of you must sign the bag and cash collection sheet to confirm the amount.

PLEASE NOTE: Some NatWest banks have counting machines you can use and save you time. Please call your local bank prior to taking the money down to double check they have the facility and it is in working order. Alternatively use the Natwest branch locator and search for your town or postcode with ‘cheque and cash deposit machine’ selected.

Some clubs will offer a secure area to count the money at the ground, but many won’t. In instances where you can’t count the money at the ground you can count it at home. Be aware that it can take a couple of hours or more to count – and the more effective your collectors, the longer it will take!

Your Team Leader’s briefing sheet will tell you whether the club can provide a secure place to count the money while the game is in progress.

We will provide two security bags – one to take the money home (please use this immediately to store the money securely as soon as the collection has ended), and a second to take the money to the bank (after the money has been counted). Some clubs will store the money for you during the game, to allow you to watch the game. Others will require you to take the money out of the stadium prior to kick-off. Your Team Leader’s briefing sheet will tell you whether your club will agree to securely store the money until after the game. Note that the bags of coins can be heavy. Enlisting the help of some strong team members is a good tip too!

Take the counted money in your sealed security bag to your local bank as soon as possible on the next working day.

Get a receipt, attach this to your cash collection sheet and post it back to us at Men United match days, Freepost RTGC-BASH-USLX Prostate Cancer UK, The Counting House, 53 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QN.

Please email [email protected] with how much you raised!

Your safety when handling money is important to us. Below are some hints and tips to help you keep safe.

  • If at all possible buddy up with someone to help you transport the money.
  • Don’t make it obvious to thieves that you are carrying money.
  • Stay alert to what’s going on around you.
  • Stay away from dark or empty places.
  • Take extra care where thieves often operate: tube stations, cash machines, car parks, bus stations and overcrowded areas.

We’ll be in touch to let you know how much our Men United match days have raised across the country. We’ll also send a short survey to you and your team to find out how your volunteering experience went. Please do take a moment to fill this survey out as your feedback will help us improve these events in the future.

Any questions?

Please email us or call your Volunteer Support Officer.