Fixing volunteer shortage needs less burden, more reward, study finds

Volunteers are being shut out of grassroots sport by the administrative red tape involved and the demands on those with full-time jobs, new research has revealed.

Leading charity Sported has released the findings of its strategic review of volunteering in Wales, outlining solutions that will give a boost to volunteering at trustee, board and management levels.

The study revealed the continued dominance of older males among those currently undertaking board, trustee and management volunteering roles.

But it spotlights the barriers and challenges faced by those individuals and others looking to get into those roles, factors surrounding recruitment and retention to roles at this level, and good practice in supporting these volunteers.

It found volunteers at these levels face significant time pressures in these roles, with too few willing or able to take on and share these responsibilities. It confirmed that the demands of the roles can make them inaccessible for those in full-time employment, with parental or caring responsibilities, or with long-term, changing, or unpredictable health conditions. And that expectations from external stakeholders can be unrealistic given the voluntary nature of these roles, compounded by a lack of support from such organisations.

Working alongside partners Sport Wales, Welsh Sports Association, WCVA, Boys and Girls Clubs of Wales, Volunteering Wales, and Street Games, Sported – the UK’s largest grassroots sports charity – launched the research and solutions at an event at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Thursday.

Sported’s National Manager for Wales, Richard Thomas, said: “We’re committed to helping realise the potential that sport and physical activity can have on the lives of people in Wales.

“This research and these solutions will have a big benefit on volunteering in grassroots sport across Wales which, in turn, will strengthen and support communities to living healthier and more active lives.

“As a charity we are on hand to uplift and empower local sports clubs and groups, and we’re really looking forward to seeing how the solutions proposed through this project impact the Welsh community sport sector.”

Key findings from the Wales Strategic Volunteering Project (WSVP) research revealed the profile and demographic of individuals currently undertaking board, trustee and management volunteering roles, the barriers and challenges faced by those individuals and others looking to get into those roles, factors surrounding recruitment and retention to roles at this level, and good practice in supporting these volunteers.

Following its conclusion, the WSVP has also provided stakeholders and delivery groups with recommendations on how to enhance the capacity and impact of volunteering in these roles at the local, regional and national level within Wales.

The full report can be accessed at sported.org.uk