Sport Australia has released an industry-first insights report and launched a new national plan to build a more collaborative, cohesive and contemporary approach to volunteering in sport.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of Sport Australia, Rob Dalton said the National Sport Volunteering Plan outlined the Agency’s role in leading and supporting sport to navigate the evolving volunteer landscape.
“We know from our recent Community Perceptions Monitor survey that only 53 per cent of adults who volunteered in sport before COVID-19 were back volunteering by March 2021 and, while there has been steady improvement in volunteers returning to sport in recent months, this is a critical time to ensure we are doing everything we can to attract and retain volunteers in sport,” Mr Dalton said.
“In partnership with Volunteering Australia, we recently conducted workshops with the key sport, Government and volunteer bodies, as well as engaging community sporting clubs, not for profit organisations, academics and experts from outside the sports industry to gain a deeper understanding of the volunteer experience and build a framework and a vision for the future,” he said.
“Our vision is for people from all walks of life to see and realise opportunities to contribute to individual, club and community goals in a way that suits them.”
Mr Dalton said Sport Australia’s research report The future of sport volunteering highlighted several opportunity areas for the sector to consider, such as better collaboration between community sport clubs to drive operational efficiencies and reframing the perception of volunteering to enhance its value proposition.
“The opportunities are focused on action at the community sport level, while outlining the role for sport and volunteering bodies to enable this action,” Mr Dalton said.
Sport Australia’s four-page Volunteering Plan can be accessed at this PS News link and its 72-page Insights Report at this link.
