Volunteers in sport and recreation
Volunteers are the backbone of sport and recreation in Western Australia.
Valuing volunteers in sport and recreation
Each week thousands of Western Australians give freely of their time to support sport and recreation activities in the community. Our industry would not survive without them.
Nationally, community sport and recreation relies on 1.7 million volunteers who contribute in excess of 165 million hours to running sport and recreation. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in WA during 2002, there were 187,200 sport and recreation volunteers (the next survey is 2009/10). Volunteers that create and sustain these organisations make a vital contribution to the needs of the community.
Voluntary work is an enormous source of social capital and contributes directly to the growth and development of social networks and social cohesion within our communities.
Volunteers also have a vital role to play in providing opportunities for all Western Australians to have physically-active lifestyles
Education and training for volunteers
The Department of Sport and Recreation recognises the importance of supporting and recognising volunteers so they feel valued and are able to fulfil the position they have been given.
Education and training is a vital component of a good volunteer management program. Volunteers who are offered some form of training are more able to carry out their duties more comfortably, and confidently and, as a result, more efficiently, which will in turn benefit their organisations.
Providing education and training opportunities for volunteers is also a part of good risk management practices. Trained volunteers become a valuable asset to your organisation.
Education and training for volunteers working in sport and recreation is available in Coaching, Officiating, Sports Medicine and other administrative and management programs.
Did you know?
- About 1.5 million adults volunteer in Australian sport and recreation.
- The voluntary contribution to Australian sport and recreation is worth more than $2 billion annually.
- Without volunteers, each Australian household's expenditure on sport and recreation would increase by $330 a year.
- 80 per cent of administration in sport and recreation is done by volunteers.
- Volunteers contribute more than 165 million hours per year running sport and recreation clubs and organisations.
- 53 per cent of all volunteers in WA are found in sport and recreation.
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