National Volunteer Week 2024
May 20 – 26 is National Volunteer Week, a week to celebrate those around the country who volunteer their time to causes they care about, including sport, highlighting that volunteering offers ‘Something for Everyone’.
Large scale events like the Commonwealth or Olympic games rely on volunteers for their success but it’s the everyday sporting clubs and events that exist and operate year in year out because of the contribution of their volunteers.
The Clearinghouse for Sport reports that there are more than 70,000 community sports clubs around the country – think how many of those wouldn’t operate without their much-loved volunteers.
The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is recognising the 3 million strong sports volunteers from across the country with their campaign 3 Cheers for Volunteers!
The ASC is working with clubs and sports around Australia to promote their contribution to our favourite pastime by using the hashtags #3CheersForVolunteers and #SportVol across social media.
National Premier League football club Gungahlin United Administrator Leanne Shea Langdown says volunteers are the lifeblood of clubs like hers, creating opportunities for kids now and into the future.
"Volunteers are vital to the operation of grassroots sports, without them most clubs would fail to exist,” Ms Shea Langdown says.
“From the administrators right through to coaching, those who selflessly give up their time allow kids the opportunity to be active, gain new skills, create sporting pathways and make life-long friends.”
Ms Shea Langdown says that tools such as Sport Integrity Australia’s Recruitment and Volunteering guides and checklists greatly support the efforts of club volunteers to create safe environments for all young people.
"There can be a lot to consider when hiring volunteers, we all just want the best for our clubs, so it's very helpful to have a checklist to guide this process,” she says.
“Particularly since most volunteers have full time jobs, families and lives to manage, so they’re often time poor. Which means things can easily fall through the cracks.
“The easier we can make it, the better it is for everyone, including sport.”
Sport Integrity Australia offers Safeguarding and Volunteer Recruitment eLearning courses to support clubs at all levels in addition to a library of safeguarding resources available for sports and volunteers via the Sport Integrity Australia website.
