Sport England boosts support for sports volunteers: £828,000 investment announced in runningsports

Sport England has announced a £828,000 Lottery investment in runningsports, the portfolio of skills and support resources for sports volunteers.

runningsports resources are designed to support those involved in team, club or community sports group administration and management. The website, www.runningsports.org , contains a hive of information to help sports volunteers, including top tips, best practice guides, volunteer case studies and answers to frequently asked questions.

The new funding, which runs over the next three years to 31 March 2009, is designed to give more of England’s 5.8 million sports volunteers access to runningsports’ resources and support. As part of Sport England’s drive to get more people involved in sport, the investment will help runningsports to work with the national governing bodies of sport and voluntary sector organisations to roll out runningsports resources to a wider audience.

Stephen Baddeley, Sport England Interim Chief Executive, said: “Through their enthusiasm, dedication and sheer hard work, volunteers play a crucial role in making sport happen in communities across the country. We need to ensure that sports volunteers are properly supported in their work if we are going to succeed in our drive to help more people get active and achieve their potential in sport. Our investment is designed to give more volunteers access to runningsports’ world class portfolio of resources and support their ongoing work and development.”

Alongside the website, runningsports also publishes a range of guides on topics such as fixtures and events planning, through to fundraising and even taxation. It also holds workshops covering a range of key issues for those involved in running a sports organisation, such as volunteer recruitment, retention, management and motivation, club finances, links with schools and accessibility in sports clubs. These are led by accredited tutors and recommended by 94% of attendees.

Lisa Wainwright, Sport England Head of National Sport said: “Volunteers who have used runningsports already tell us that these resources help them improve the way they work so they get the most for their clubs and their sport. As preparations gather pace ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games that’s good news for sport at all levels. As well as supporting those already involved in sport, runningsports will help ensure that the 100,000 plus volunteers who have registered as volunteers for the Games have all the skills and knowledge that the Games will demand.”

“All those people who have accessed runningsports materials and workshops are hugely enthusiastic about the support the portfolio provides.” Says Karen Allen, runningsports Manager. “This investment by Sport England will help us to make these resources available to a far wider community of local sports volunteers across the country. Enabling them to get more for their club and keep sport a vibrant part of their local community.”

Further information

- Media enquiries relating to runningsports should be referred Ricky Coussins Tel: 020 8392 1118
- For non-media enquiries please refer in the first instance to www.runningsports.org or contact runningsports on info@runningsports.org

Notes to editors
1.‘Sports Volunteering in England in 2002’ from Sport England, carried out by the University of Sheffield, shows there are 5.8 million sports volunteers in England. This represents 26% of all volunteers - the largest single group in the voluntary sector. The time contributed by these sports volunteers alone in England has been estimated to be worth over £14 billion.
2.runningsports is Sport England’s portfolio of skills development and support for administrative sports volunteers. The resources are the result of a major overhaul of Running Sport and the Volunteer Investment Programme. These have now been replaced and come under the runningsports banner. The new resources reflect the latest good practice across the sector, as well as additional areas of support.
3.The most recent figures show that 94% of users would recommend runningsports to a fellow volunteer
4.A range of testimonials from those who have benefited from runningsports resources are outlined below:

"I would say the club’s annual turnover since attending the workshop has gone up by between £10 - £15k a year." William Campbell, co-ordinator for Seamer Sports Association Multi-Sport Club

”runningsports is very informative and very helpful. Since using runningsports, we’ve recruited extra volunteers and the club as a whole is running smoothly.” Andy Jones, Pilkington Recs Amateur Rugby League Club

“Through runningsports, we found out how to enthuse, encourage and make things enjoyable for our volunteers.” Philip Scott Richards, Under 16’s Manager, Colyton Youth Football and Sports Club.

“runningsports provides a useful chance to see whereabouts you and your club’s development planning might be in relation to others and to benchmark against those standards.” Shelley Whitehead, Blackburn Centurions

“runningsports helps in every way, your goals, your aims, what you are looking for in terms of volunteers and the finance side of it.” Bob Barsby, TS sports football club