Budding sports volunteers will soon get more
opportunities to roll up their sleeves and get involved in the
sports they love - thanks to £93,000 of new Exchequer funding from
Sport England.
Sport England is investing the funding in
Volunteering England, our national partner for driving up
volunteering in sport. The funding will be:
- Invested in Volunteer Centres[1] in every
region to help them work more closely with local sports clubs
- Used to develop more opportunities for people
to volunteer and match the right people to the right roles
- Used to promote sports volunteering
opportunities locally.
The announcement coincides with this year’s
Volunteers’ Week.
It also provides a further boost for sports
volunteering following the publication of the latest government
citizenship figures which reveal that people who volunteer choose
to give their time to sport more than any other activity. Findings
from the Department for Communities and Local Government’s
Citizenship Survey show that 53% of the adults volunteering
formally do so in sport.[2]
Richard Lewis, Sport England's Chair,
said:
"Community sport needs its volunteers. Without
them, it could not thrive as an environment where everyone gets to
experience the thrill of playing sport. We know that the quality of
volunteers, and the skills they bring, has a significant impact on
participants and the likelihood of them continuing their sporting
involvement in the future. I cannot give enough praise, and thanks,
to the millions of people who dedicate their time to grassroots
sport and helping others to enjoy it."
Volunteering England has welcomed the funding
and the chance to help even more people to volunteer.
Justin Davis Smith, Volunteering England’s
Chief Executive, said:
“I am delighted that in Volunteering England
we are helping make the links between local Volunteer Centres and
sports clubs in their communities. Mostly people get to
volunteer through their friendships and networks where they live.
Volunteer Centres are really important in creating the conditions
locally which will help sports clubs involve more volunteers.”
Leanne Dooley, from Bury, was named Greater
Manchester’s Volunteer of the Year after she dedicated over 15
years to volunteering with adults and young people. Despite working
full time, Leanne was instrumental in setting up a ‘back to
netball’ programme giving women in Bury the opportunity to take up
sport again. Two girls have come through the weekly sessions and
were selected for the England Netball talent squad.
Leanne said: “I absolutely love community
sport. You get so much out of being a volunteer, you are part of a
massive team of people who really care about what they do, and it
is that shared passion and dedication that really keeps you
going. Seeing girls join the club, learn the sport, be part
of a team and in some cases go on to compete at England level is
really rewarding, and the joy of seeing people grow beyond what
they thought they could ever achieve is priceless.”
Minister for Sport and the Olympics Hugh
Robertson said:
“Volunteers are the lifeblood of grassroots
sport and deserve huge recognition for the difference they make on
the ground every day. Sport England’s support will help the
millions of volunteers who already give their time and I hope it
will inspire many more to do so.”
Volunteering facts and
figures
Recent statistics from Sport England’s Active
People Survey have revealed that nearly two million adults
(1,972,700) contribute at least one hour a week to volunteering in
sport – equivalent to a full-time workforce of over 80,000
people.
The impact that volunteers have in grassroots
sport is significant. Just under half (48%) of general participants
questioned in Sport England’s Satisfaction Survey rated ‘the
competence and commitment of the volunteers I came into contact
with in my sport’ as important, while 77% of active club members
and 87% of talented athletes agreed.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
There are 270
accredited Volunteer Centres around the country. Volunteer Centres
are local organisations providing support and expertise within the
local community, to potential volunteers, existing volunteers and
organisations that involve volunteers.
For more information on the work Sport England
does to help sports club volunteers, visit the
runningsports website
Sport England invests National Lottery and
Exchequer funding in organisations and projects that will grow and
sustain participation in grassroots sport and create opportunities
for people to excel at their chosen sport.
Sport England is committed to creating a
world-leading community sport system, and has set specific and
measurable targets to achieve by 2012/13:
- One million people doing more sport
- A 25% reduction in the number of 16- to 18-year-olds who drop
out of at least five key sports
- Improved talent development systems in at least 25 sports
- A measurable increase in people’s satisfaction with their
experience of sport
- A major contribution to the delivery of the five hour sports
offer for children and young people.