Volunteering

What is a sport volunteer?

Whether you’re a coach driver, a referee or a treasurer – if you help others in sport for free, or expenses only, you’re a sports volunteer. It could be a formal arrangement, working for an organisation, or a more informal arrangement.

Sports Volunteering, The Statistics

  • The sporting sector makes the single biggest contribution to total volunteering in England – with 26% of volunteers stating sport as their main area of interest.
  • 5,821,400 volunteers contribute to sport (14% of the adult population).
  • 1,209,566,500 hours of sporting volunteering in the year, equating to 720,00 additional paid full time workers.
  • Volunteers’ support 106,400 affiliated clubs in England serving over 8 million members.

Sport England Policy

Sport England is committed to working with partners to ensure that strategic investment into the volunteer workforce is carried out in a coordinated strategic manner. Sport England has established the National Strategic Partnership for Volunteers in Sport to provide a single strategic voice to drive forward, promote and develop volunteering in sport and the wider voluntary sector. The partnership feeds directly into the England Volunteer Development Council engaging with government and to capture the collective intelligence of volunteer-involving organisations, volunteering infrastructure providers and of volunteers to provide a powerful lobby to steer government policy and community action.

London 2012

Volunteers are essential for the successful running of the Olympics and integral to the London bid to host the Games in 2012. Not only could the London Games simply not be held without the input of an estimated 70,000 volunteers, fulfilling a vast array of essential tasks, from spectator services to translation facilities and first aid care; but the very presence of a huge army of committed, unpaid workers will contribute directly to the fulfilment of key aspects of the Olympic ideal. To show your support and volunteer in the 2012 Olympics (www.london2012.org)

Why volunteer?

Sport depends on the input of volunteers. Hundreds of thousands of people every week take part in sporting activities, which are largely organised, administered and controlled by voluntary effort.

Volunteering doesn’t have to be a one-time experience. For many it is a lifetime activity. There will always be new skills, new experiences and new feelings of satisfaction. It will develop you as a person, too. You make friends, try new activities and are confident in the knowledge that you are helping others to reach their true sporting potential.

Volunteering often leads to so many other things. The experiences, contacts, knowledge, skill and confidence gained from volunteering are exactly the qualities that potential employers are looking for. What’s more, you’ll receive certificates, awards, testimonies all of which will provide evidence of your hard work. Alongside doing as much or as little as you like! So, are you interested? Well what are you waiting for?

For more information about sport volunteering in North Yorkshire contact;

Lucy Smith
Volunteer Development Officer
Tel; 01423 556782
E-mail: lucy.smith@harrogate.gov.uk  

 

Volunteer Week - North Yorkshire Sport Recognises its Volunteers.

Let’s put a little bit of effort in for our volunteers!!

Volunteers' Week is a national celebration of volunteers and volunteering which takes place from 1 – 7 June of each year. It plays a huge part in raising the profile of England’s 22 million volunteers while encouraging others to get involved.

 "Celebration of Volunteering" Tuesday 3rd June 1-4pm Lower Rooms, Wesley Chapel, Harrogate. The aim of the event is to get voluntary organisations, members of the public and existing volunteers to allow enjoy an afternoon celebrating volunteering.

For more information about the event please click here