Transcript Sport Volunteering in Wales: a research project March 2011 Sport Wales Research Sports volunteering in Wales Two research studies 2008-09 Active Adults Survey – Who volunteers? What.

Sport Volunteering
in Wales:
a research project
March 2011
Sport Wales Research
Sports volunteering in Wales
Two research studies
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
Who volunteers?
Sports volunteering in Wales
In brief: findings from the Survey
Decreases with social class – similar pattern for
school and club
Males are more likely to volunteer than females in
sports clubs, though not school sports clubs
Students and parents are the most likely groups to
volunteer
A link between rurality and volunteering – those in
rural areas tend to volunteer more
Sports participants are more likely to volunteer
Those 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?
Sports volunteering in Wales
People usually ‘fall into’ volunteering
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 in
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
Source: Sports Volunteering in Wales research project.
Base: all adults aged 15 and above in Wales
Sports volunteering in Wales
Qualitative research: four routes into volunteering
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.
“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”.
Research interviewee
Rugby coach
“... 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.”
Research interviewee
Interested in volunteering, but not currently volunteering
Sports volunteering in Wales
Questions from the research
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
Meeting the Coaching Strategy target
Percentage (%) of adults who have volunteered in sport in the previous 12 months
20
% 10
0
Current volunteers
Source: Active Adults Survey, 2008-09;
Base: all adults aged 15 and above in Wales
Current volunteers plus those interested in
volunteering
Sports volunteering in Wales
Questions from the research
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
Sports volunteering in Wales
A challenge for club development
The purpose of developing the coaching /
volunteering base is larger, stronger and more
sustainable clubs
Coaches 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
Sports volunteering in Wales
A challenge for club development
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
Sports volunteering in Wales
Other challenges
Child protection and other regulations
– Not necessarily a barrier to entry, but existing
volunteers thought it might be an issue
Parents 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
Sports volunteering in Wales
Conclusions
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