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Sport Wales Research
March 2011
Sport Volunteering in Wales: a research project
2008-09 Active Adults Survey– Who volunteers? What do they do? How long do they spend doing it? Who
wants to volunteer?
Survey ‘follow-up’ study: over 100 interviews with:– sports volunteers (including coaches)– those who wish to volunteer (coach)– participants who receive sports coaching/instruction– people who don’t want to volunteer
Two research studies
Sports volunteering in Wales
Who volunteers?
In brief: findings from the Survey
Sports volunteering in Wales
Decreases with social class – similar pattern for school and clubMales are more likely to volunteer than females in sports clubs, though not school sports clubsStudents and parents are the most likely groups to volunteerA link between rurality and volunteering – those in rural areas tend to volunteer moreSports participants are more likely to volunteerThose motivated to participate for competition, to learn new skills, for fun, or for socialising are more likely to volunteer
Source: Active Adults Survey, 2008-09; Base: all adults aged 15 and above in Wales
How do people get into volunteering in sport?
How might we get more people volunteering in sport?
People usually ‘fall into’ volunteering
Sports volunteering in Wales
Most don’t proactively seek opportunities, even when they are interested in volunteering– Students are the only proactive ‘type’– ‘Roped into’ supporting activities that they
already had some involvement inOpportunities arise within clubs/classes and existing social networksPeople are most likely to respond to a specific need expressed to them directly in their local community
Source: Active Adults Survey, 2008-09; Sports Volunteering in Wales research project.Base: all adults aged 15 and above in Wales
Qualitative research: four routes into volunteering
Sports volunteering in Wales
Students Active parents
Looking for experience and development opportunities that come with ‘volunteering’ (usually coaching). The only type that proactively seeks out opportunities to volunteer/coach. A volunteer base or future workforce?
A parent whose child is involved in an activity, and is already on the sidelines. Gets involved because the club/class expresses a need.
Sport lovers Skilled volunteers Someone with a passion for their particular sport and has an existing involvement in a club/class. They get involved as they become older, can no longer participate/compete or have reached a certain level of expertise.
Someone with skills that the club needs (e.g. administration, accounting, driving). Usually hear about the club’s need through friends or family and respond to that need.
Source: Sports Volunteering in Wales research project.Base: all adults aged 15 and above in Wales
“My son was learning so I started by helping out with the under-nines … I started off helping out two coaches. One coach moved on with his boy to the under 12s. The other coach I was helping has two children and wanted to spend time with his daughter, so didn’t continue. Consequently I became the lead”.
Rugby coach
Research interviewee
“... I’ve just not looked into it. There is nothing stopping me except me. I suppose if I was approached by the school or a club that would probably be enough for me to get involved but it’s really because I haven’t done anything about it. It’s one of those things that you would like to do but just never get round to it.”
Interested in volunteering, but not currently volunteering
Research interviewee
Questions from the research
Sports volunteering in Wales
We need a culture of engaging more people by asking– Being unafraid to ask, or a greater expectation
on members/parents?What does ‘deployment’ mean, when volunteers are usually engaged locally?What happens to young leaders and students?– Can clubs be developed around them? In what
ways? (How) Can they be engaged long-term?‘Pure sports clubs: a male environment – links to the gender gap in volunteering and club participation?
Source: Active Adults Survey, 2008-09; Sports Volunteering in Wales research project.Base: all adults aged 15 and above in Wales
0
10
20
%
Percentage (%) of adults who have volunteered in sport in the previous 12 months
Meeting the Coaching Strategy target
Source: Active Adults Survey, 2008-09; Base: all adults aged 15 and above in Wales
Questions from the research
Sports volunteering in Wales
We need a culture of engaging more people by asking– Being unafraid to ask, or a greater expectation
on members/parents?What does ‘deployment’ mean, when volunteers are usually engaged locally?What happens to young leaders and students?– Can clubs be developed around them? In what
ways? (How) Can they be engaged long-term?‘Pure sports clubs: a male environment – links to the gender gap in volunteering and club participation?
Source: Active Adults Survey, 2008-09; Sports Volunteering in Wales research project.Base: all adults aged 15 and above in Wales
Issues for volunteers
A challenge for club development
Sports volunteering in Wales
The purpose of developing the coaching / volunteering base is larger, stronger and more sustainable clubsCoaches and volunteers feel adequately supported in their day-to-day volunteering roles: ad-hoc support within clubs and (sometimes) from governing bodies
Source: Active Adults Survey, 2008-09; Sports Volunteering in Wales research project.Base: all adults aged 15 and above in Wales
A challenge for club development
Sports volunteering in Wales
But: not enough support when they want to grow their club– Volunteers often end up feeling overloaded –
they need support from more people– Clubs need support in deciding who to ask,
when, and having the confidence to ask whilst accepting that many will say no
– Potential volunteers don’t always know what roles exist or what they could do
Source: Active Adults Survey, 2008-09; Sports Volunteering in Wales research project.Base: all adults aged 15 and above in Wales
Other challenges
Sports volunteering in Wales
Child protection and other regulations– Not necessarily a barrier to entry, but existing
volunteers thought it might be an issueParents using sports clubs as childcare providers– … even when the child isn’t interested in the
sport– Has an impact on the quality of sessions for all
Source: Active Adults Survey, 2008-09; Sports Volunteering in Wales research project.Base: all adults aged 15 and above in Wales
Conclusions
Sports volunteering in Wales
There is potential to increase the number of volunteers in sport, by asking them (and doing so appropriately).Think about why people get involved in volunteering, and how: this will help to determine whether they will stay with a club or activity later on.Opportunities arise within clubs/classes and existing social networks.People are most likely to respond to a specific need expressed to them directly in their local community.
Source: Active Adults Survey, 2008-09; Sports Volunteering in Wales research project.Base: all adults aged 15 and above in Wales