Youth Sport Trust report marks Volunteers’ Week
More than four out of ten young people in the UK want to volunteer at the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, according to research released today by the Youth Sport Trust to mark Volunteers’ Week 1-7 June.
The survey also found that nearly seven out of ten young people have already volunteered, with six in ten having helped organise a sports activity.
As part of its work to encourage more young volunteers to become officials and referees, the Youth Sport Trust has recently been awarded a grant by the charity ‘v’ to recruit and retain more than 1,000 new young sports volunteers over the next year. Nine full time volunteer posts, called Young Officials Development Officers, will be recruited to work with the relevant National Governing Bodies of Sport* and School Sport Partnerships. They will develop Young Officials Awards, resources and training to recruit and qualify 1,000 16 to 19 year olds as officials.
These young officials will support competition and events at a local level using their new skills. Some will have the chance to undertake officiating duties at major events such as the UK School Games alongside top officials and hopefully have the chance to volunteer at the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
The project follows the recent and successful Step into Sport Camp, organised by the Youth Sport Trust and supported by the Department for Culture Media and Sport, which was attended by 400 16 to 19 year old community volunteers. Step into Sport is part of the government’s National School Sport Strategy and focuses on giving young people aged 16 to 19 the chance to become involved in sports leadership and volunteering.
Steve Grainger, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust said: “Over six million people volunteer one billion hours to sport every year. The passion and enthusiasm young people have for sport makes them ideal volunteers at sporting events, from grassroots right through to elite competition. Without this new breed of young volunteers, thousands of schools, clubs and associations will be unable to stage the sporting events they currently run to such a high standard.
“We are looking to best-of-breed events like the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and the UK School Games to really harness the interest and potential of young volunteers and enthuse them to continue a life-long involvement in sport and become more active citizens.”
More than half of the youngsters surveyed thought they would have as much fun as a referee, such as Pierluigi Collina, as they would playing, and more than six out of ten think being an organiser is also as fun and rewarding as playing the sport itself.
Eight out of ten respondents also think that volunteering is a rewarding and fun experience, which means you can get involved in something you enjoy regardless of whether you are good at it or not and nearly half think that being a successful sports leader is about believing that taking part is as important as winning.
Ends
Further information from Sophie Borromeo, James Webb or Karin Hobbs at the Youth Sport Trust on 020 7278 7208, mobile 07931 785 066
Notes to editors
* The National Governing Bodies participating in the volunteering project are: Table Tennis, Athletics, Badminton, Fencing, Gymnastics, Judo, Swimming, Volleyball
1. The Youth Sport Trust-commissioned survey by Dubit Ltd surveyed 800 UK 11-19 year olds.
2. Case studies / photographs of young people volunteering in sport are available.
3. The Youth Sport Trust is a registered charity established in 1994 to build a brighter future for young people through sport. Its mission is to support the education and development of all young people through PE and sport. www.youthsporttrust.org