Volunteers

 

Volunteer at a half marathon getting the runners' medals ready

 

Without the two million adult volunteers who contribute at least one hour a week to volunteering in sport, community sport would grind to a halt.

Volunteers also play an incredible role in staging some of England's most prestigious sporting events. Without this volunteer workforce, the events simply wouldn't happen.

Sport England’s volunteering team works with partners from both the sport and the wider third sector to ensure we can continue and build upon our strong tradition of volunteering in sport.

We fully recognise and appreciate the value of volunteers and we are working closely with the agencies below to ensure the appropriate support can be offered to help recruit and retain volunteers.

Want to volunteer?

Volunteers in sport come in all shapes and sizes; they are of all ages, have different skills and experiences and are certainly not all sport enthusiasts.

Some of the roles that volunteers hold range from coaching and officiating to kitchen assistant and web page designer.

If you are interested in volunteering in sport the following routes should prove useful:

Sport Makers

Our Sport Makers programme aims to recruit tens of thousands of new sports volunteers aged 16 years and over to organise and lead community sporting activities across the country.

Whether it’s organising a 5-a-side match with friends, going for a run with your colleagues or encouraging people to take part in the LTA’s Allplay scheme – sport needs people to make it happen.

Everyone who chooses to become a Sport Maker is invited by their county sports partnership (CSP) to come to an inspiring workshop near to where they live or work. They will then be supported to find local opportunities that suit them to increase participation in sport.

Visit the Sport Makers website to find out more.

National governing bodies of sport

National governing bodies will have a good idea of club and volunteer needs. Some may have volunteer opportunities and guidance posted on their website while others will have a dedicated person to support volunteers in that sport.

County sports partnerships

County sports partnerships ( CSPs ) are networks of partners who are committed to increasing sport and physical activity across a county area.

Most of the CSPs have web space dedicated to supporting local volunteers or due to their partnership nature are able to point you in the right direction of clubs, groups and societies who may need volunteers.

Leadership and Volunteering

There is a wide range of leadership and volunteering opportunities available to young people. You can find out more on our Leadership and Volunteering pages.

Youth Sport Trust

If you are aged between 14 and 19 years old you may wish to be part of the Step into Sport scheme

Local volunteer centres

With 380 volunteer centres across the country, support is available for volunteers who are keen to get involved with sport but are not sure how.

There is also support for clubs, groups and societies who need and manage volunteers:

Running Sports

Resources to recruit and retain volunteers.

National Association for Voluntary and Community Action

NAVCA supports local infrastructure organisations who offer resource to voluntary and third sector organisations.

Share, bookmark and save Sport England articles and features. What's this?

Email a friend this page

*Required fields

Expand Sport England at a glance...