Is it better to have many people at a build for the pr or fewer to have a more efficient build?
I am a "The more the merrier" type of guy. why not have fresh reserves to give people breaks without having to put a lull in the build action. Yes, you need to make sure there is plent to do and plenty of food and water.
You can line up a hundred add on activities and if you accomplish a dozen and leave the organization with materials and plans for 88 further activities to do with their energized volunteer corps, you've set up further growth.
It is amazing to see people finish a component and pick up mulch or a rake and then move to painging or brush clearing. Make the day as meaningfull and productive as possible.
Hi:
The approach that I take is to recruit about 20% more than I think I'll need. It seems that I get almost the number I anticipated by over estimating. My planning involves the contingency of too few or too many people showing up, so it is okay if I get fewer or more than anticipated. That way, if we have have fewer than anticipated, we can concentrate on the playground equipment and not worry so much about the side projects.
The number of people that you actually get on build day is sometimes very difficult to determine, but by asking organizations who they are sending helps. Rather than asking a church group how many volunteers will participate, I ask for the names of the volunteers from church. That way I have their names, and know that they have made a commitment.
Lastly, I agree with the more the merrier! We'll take the help of anyone willing to offer help, regardless of ability.
Just remember, volunteers have expectations to work, and if you have too many you will end up with people standing around complaining they have nothing to do (or coming up to you every 5 minutes requesting a new task). As I advised in a previous thread, here are the base numbers that I would use:
"It really depends on how many projects other than just the playground you have, how much engineered wood fiber you have, and how many holes you need concrete mixed for. On an average KaBOOM! build we have just around 200 people. We normally have around 50 people working on the structure and assembling components, around 50-60 on the surfacing, and then 10 people per side project group. The group watching children will also depend on how many children you have and what your community deems necessary (some schools have 10:1 teacher to student ratios, while some schools have 30:1, or more). If you have a group of 3-5 experienced teachers, childcare providers, or parents who can come up with activities to keep the children busy all day and turn the day in to a day at camp, that would probably work."