Volunteering Opportunities in Sport

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT?

If so, there are many things you could do: coach, administrator, event assistant, caterer, scorer to name but a few.  There are many programmes to get involved with including the Active Sports Programme, Berkshire Youth Games, after-school clubs and school leagues and tournaments.  All need your help.

Becoming a Volunteer offers many BENEFITS, including:

• Providing young people with opportunities to take part in sport
• Learning and developing new skills
• The chance to network with other schools and sports clubs
• Fantastic social opportunities, meeting new people and making new friends
• Contributing to the local community
• Having fun!

If you would like to be involved in sport in the borough in any way or you would like more information about volunteering, please contact the Sports Development Team on
01628 683800, or email sports.development@rbwm.gov.uk

• JSLA     (Junior Sports Leaders Award)
• CSLA    (Community Sports Leaders Award)
• TOP Link
• Berkshire Sports Partnership and Local Clubs

The Step into Sport programme provides funded training opportunities for young people to become leaders and future coaches in sport.  It is a co-ordinated approach from British Sport Trust, Youth Sport Trust and Sport England to ensure young people are able to access and experience the different roles available in sport.  It is to be delivered via the School Sport Partnerships (SSP).

Step into Sport Process

• Sportsleaders UK is the organising body that provides training and qualifications through the Junior Sports Leaders Award (JSLA) and Community Sports Leaders Award (CSLA).  Teachers in the SSP will be trained to deliver CSLA in their school.
  
• Youth Sport Trust is the National Body through which schools take part in TOP Link.  Guided by their teacher, groups of young people (e.g. JSLA classes) organise sports festivals for their local Primary schools to participate in.  This creates a fun sporting opportunity for the Primary School pupils to take part in and develops the leadership and organisational skills of the CSLA students and improves Primary/Secondary school links. Furthermore, this contributes to the smooth transfer of pupils moving up from the Primary Schools to the Secondary Schools.
  
• Sport England via its Sports Partnerships (ours is the Berkshire Sport Partnership, for more information see http://www.berkshiresport.com/) completes the process to ensure that these young leaders are offered opportunities to continue their leadership skills and progress into coaching.  Approximately 20 students from schools in the SSP will be placed with selected sports clubs and will be attatched to a mentor at the club.  This helps them complete the community placement element of the CSLA qualification.  Additionally, the work the students carry out with the club can contibute to their Millenium Volunteers hours if they are invloved in that programme.  Primarily the placement will enable students to find out about other vital roles that ensure the smooth running of a sports club.  This could include volunteer recruitment and observing coaching programmes for various age groups.

What is Awards for All?

Awards for All is a lottery grants scheme that voluntary organisations and schools can access to start up clubs.  They will fund from £500 - £5000 to groups which can be used to fund equipment, tutor fees, training courses for coaches and teachers and much more! 

The funded money must be spent within a year of the club starting up.  You are able to apply at anytime of the year, though applications will take approximately 3 months to process.

If you are interested in applying for an Awards for All grant and would like some advice and support, contact the Sports Development Team on 01628 683800 or see the Awards for All website on http://www.awardsforall.org.uk/ 

London 2012 Volunteering Links

Do-It Volunteering made easy
http://www.do-it.org/

Time Bank
http://www.timebank.org.uk/

Volunteering England
http://www.volunteering.org.uk/

Volunteer Development Scotland
http://www.vds.org.uk/default.aspx

Wales Council for Voluntary Action
http://www.wcva.org.uk/dsp_home.cfm?initapp=1