Whatever sport you play or go to watch around the county, it wouldn’t be able to be put on if it wasn’t for the wonderful work of volunteers.

The unsung heroes of sport, the people you don’t necessarily see or know, but the people in the background that make sure every event, game, match or session is put on without fuss or for reward.

Why do people vounteer? That’s a question I have been asking myself for some time and it’s taken me a while to come up with the answer.

Out of the woodwork, people seem to emerge to make sure every sport runs, but without the volunteers, most just wouldn’t happen and that comes down to funding.

With people time poor, volunteers should be heralded ever more as they are giving up their precious time – and for nothing. I say nothing, but it’s not really the case.

They don’t turn up week in, week out for nothing. They might not get paid, but they all do it for a reason. They do it because they love being involved in sport.

Some have different reasons, like someone else in the family plays a sport, or is part of a club, but at the end of the day, they come along to lend a hand as they have a sense of worth and want to help.

Take running and parkruns. These events on Saturday mornings just wouldn’t exist across Kent if it wasn’t for volunteers. No matter what the weather, they are there helping people like me do something I love.

I don’t know them all and they don’t know me, but that doesn’t stop them from standing there in the freezing cold, pouring rain or blazing sunshine doing what they need to do to make the parkruns run smoothly.

They all have different jobs to do, making sure everyone keeps to right course, timing the runs, issuing instructions, cheering everyone on. All vital jobs and critical for the run to be a success.

Where would we be without them?

It’s not just running though. How many cricket clubs across Kent would survive if it wasn’t for volunteers? How would the wicket be prepared? Who would umpire? Who would make the tea?

The so called stars are the ones that go out and play sport, but all too often I feel it’s the people behind the scenes that should get the recognition as it’s their work that allows the players to play, the runners to run, the swimmers to swim.

Could we even put a price on volunteers? Most clubs would be bankrupt within months if they had to pay everyone that came along for nothing.

I watch a lot of sport, both professional and amateur, and I think it’s fair to say even the top levels require volunteers.

Stewarding, marshalling, manning of certain areas, is often done by volunteers, even at high level clubs. Again, they do it as they want to be there to support their club.

For me, I have a personal affinity for volunteers as Kent Sports News just wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for them. Who do you think writes the match reports, conducts the interviews, takes the pictures, loads everything onto the site?

Journalism has changed dramatically in the past ten to fifteen years. Going back some years I cut my teeth by volunteering for Invicta FM and Capital Gold, helping with radio coverage of Gillingham’s games, both home and away.

I did it because I loved it and it gave me the passion to do what I do now. Although we can’t necessarily pay our contributors. I’m proud to say many have gone on and gained employment through us or with other organisations, becoming press officers or working within sport.

The experience they gained by covering sport for Kent Sports News helped their CV and surely contributed towards them getting where they all are now.

As we close in on our sixth birthday, KSN continues to grow with more and more guys and girls volunteering for us. Where would be without them?

That’s a question I ask every day and for one I can only say two words – thank you.