WIREDGOV

We take a closer look at our new volunteering strategy and some of the early funding opportunities it presents.

In the past, volunteering in sport has been seen as something people do for the benefit of others. Whether it's marshalling a fun run, managing money, driving people from A to B (and back) or even washing the muddy kit on a Sunday afternoon, it’s always been the participants that everyone is focused on. That’s about to change.

Our new volunteering strategy, Volunteering in an Active Nation, accompanied by a number of new funding opportunities, puts the experience of the volunteer and a drive to increase diversity at the heart of efforts to support volunteers. After all, without them most community sport simply wouldn’t happen.

Download Volunteering in an Active Nation

The double benefit of volunteering

When we set out to develop our first ever volunteering strategy, our research uncovered a truth about volunteering. It’s the double benefit of giving your time.

Working with a range of expert partners including academics, the NCVO Institute for Volunteering Research and the National Citizen Service, we’ve discovered powerful evidence that shows that giving your time can improve your health, reduce stress, build confidence and improve your skills. That means volunteers who give their time to make sport happen in their community enjoy many of the benefits associated with actually taking part in sport.

Take Rebecca who volunteers with GoodgymOpen in a new window. She runs three miles to see Joan, an isolated elderly woman, every Monday night, then stays and chats before running home. Rebecca feels fitter and healthier, and she says she’s pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to motivate herself to run during the winter if it wasn’t for Joan.

Click here for full press release