Overview
| Role | Scope | Time | What You Do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Comes and plays | None | Turns up, follows the group rules |
| Helper | Whatever you pitch in on | As little as one-off | Pitches in on something small: hosting, setup, content, translation |
| Organiser | One sport or event | 1-3 hrs/week | Makes an activity happen |
| Admin | One or more groups | Under 1 hr/week | Moderates the WhatsApp groups |
| Core member | Whole community | Varies | Long-standing regulars who help hold things together |
| Board member | The association | Varies | Runs the legal association |
Anything not covered by these sits with the board until someone takes it on.
Member
Anyone who comes and plays. No application, no commitment beyond following the group rules and turning up when you say you will.
Note on the word: within the association specifically, "member" (soci) is a formal legal status you apply for under Article 5 of the statutes, with voting rights at the General Assembly. Almost everyone in Keep Calm is not a member in that sense, and does not need to be. Coming to sessions has nothing to do with it.
Helper
The easiest way in. No ongoing commitment, no minimum time in the community, and no title needed to start - just pitching in on one specific thing, once.
What you do:
- Host a one-off event or session using the How to Host an Event playbook
- Help run an existing session: setup, welcoming newcomers, equipment
- Create content: photos, video, design
- Help with Spanish or Catalan venue communications
- Anything else useful, behind the scenes or on the day
What it takes:
- Following through on the one thing you said yes to
- Nothing beyond that, unless you want more
Authority: None beyond the specific task, unless you're hosting an event, see the playbook.
Path onward: Helping counts as real Contribution toward Core, and hosting a session or two is often how people discover they want to become a full Organiser. See Helper Onboarding for the invite pack.
Organiser
The person who makes an activity happen. Most run a weekly sport; some run one-off events like parties, trips and cross-sport socials.
What you do:
- Post polls and announcements
- Organise sessions and assign players
- Book courts or venues where the activity needs it
- Handle problems, no-shows, and conflicts
- Welcome newcomers
- Apply the strike system when needed
What it takes:
- Reliable availability for whatever you're running
- Good communication
- Comfortable making fair decisions and occasionally being firm
- Minimum 3-6 month commitment for a weekly sport
Authority:
- Final say on player assignments and session format
- Can assign strikes within guidelines
- Major changes (venues, fees, dropping the sport) need agreement from other organisers
- Removing someone at strike 3 is decided by the organisers together, not alone
Backup: Should have at least one co-organiser or someone who can cover when you're away. See Organiser Guide for the handover process, and How to Host an Event for the one-off event playbook.
Booking: padel, tennis and badminton need courts booked, sometimes by someone other than the organiser running the session. That's a task, not a separate role - each of those sports covers it in its own organiser guide.
Admin
An Organiser who also holds admin rights in one or more WhatsApp groups. Admin is something Organisers take on, not a separate track.
What you do:
- Keep the group on topic and readable
- Delete spam, steer conversations, keep pins current
- Issue strikes 1 and 2 for group rule breaches
- Welcome newcomers into the group
Authority:
- Strikes 1 and 2 are yours to decide alone
- Strike-3 removals are decided by the organisers together
- Appeals go to an organiser who wasn't involved in the original decision
See the Admin One-Pager for the day-to-day detail, and Admin Onboarding for what's expected before you take it on.
Core member
People who have been part of Keep Calm for a while and help hold it together - the regulars other people recognise. Core isn't a job with duties; it's recognition of sustained involvement, and it's where new organisers usually come from.
Board member
The people who run the association itself: President, two Secretaries, two Treasurers, and the Vocals. These are legal roles defined in the statutes, elected by the General Assembly, with duties set out in their own role documents.
The board handles the association's money, its paperwork, partnerships, and anything binding it legally. It also picks up whatever community work nobody has taken on yet.
Informal Contributions
Not every contribution needs a title. Some of the most valuable help comes from people who:
- Help with setup and cleanup
- Bring equipment to sessions
- Help with Spanish/Catalan venue communications
- Welcome newcomers at their first session
- Take photos for social media
If you want to help in any of these ways, just let your organiser know.
Getting Involved
There's no formal progression - if you attend regularly, help out, and show interest, you'll naturally get more involved. The main thing we need is reliability: people who do what they say they'll do.
Related Documents
- Organiser Guide - How to run a sport
- Who Does What (RACI) - Responsibility map across all roles
- Helper Onboarding - Expectations pack and messages for new Helpers
- Organiser Onboarding - Expectations pack and messages for new organisers
- Admin Onboarding - Expectations pack and messages for new admins
- Admin One-Pager - WhatsApp group moderation
- How to Host an Event - Step-by-step playbook for one-off events
- Per-sport organiser one-pagers -
<sport>/organiser-one-pager.mdin each sport's folder - Organisers - Current organisers by sport
- Partnerships & Reciprocity - What volunteers receive