After three years of intensive international research and development, the partners in the ground-breaking V4V project are proud and delighted to launch their final products, aimed at improving the recruitment, management, retention and training of European sport volunteers.

The volunteer workforce is absolutely vital to European sport. Sport, as we know and love it, simply could not exist without the tireless efforts of millions of people who freely give their help each week through coaching, officiating, supporting events, serving on boards and committees, providing food, refreshments, transport and a thousand other tasks that keep the wheels of sport turning.

BUT there is worrying evidence that volunteering is in decline and the V4V survey of nearly 3,000 sport organisations shows that most of them – especially those at grassroots level – face real challenges with volunteer recruitment, management and training. Our research also shows they can do better, sometimes in quite simple ways. With small improvements, the contribution of their volunteers can be so much greater.

V4V has produced two innovative online tools to support organisations and volunteers.

For Sport Organisations: A FREE Practical Toolkit to Help Grow and Sustain their Volunteer Workforce

Do the self-assessment
Any sport organisation can log in for free and find out how well they are doing with their volunteers.
It’s not difficult. They simply answer 20 questions for one or more of the following themes:

1. Planning the volunteer workforce
2. Recruiting and organising volunteers
3. Managing and rewarding volunteers
4. Training and developing volunteers

When they have finished, the toolkit will give them some clear scores and charts to show what their volunteering strengths and weaknesses are.

Then dig into the V4V learning resources

Knowing where a sport organisation can improve is just the start of their journey. This interactive toolkit can also point them in the right direction with 20 research-based learning resources covering all the themes listed above with many real-life good practice case studies.

Try the free V4V online interactive toolkit for sport organisations here.

For Sport Volunteers: A FREE Self-Reflection Tool to Reveal the Skills They Have Gained When Volunteering

People gain so much from sport volunteering, especially the chance to learn a whole new set of competencies and skills they would never get from their ‘day jobs’. These skills could help them to progress in life – maybe apply for a new job, move to a higher volunteering position, or get into further education. It would also reinforce the volunteer’s motivation and encourage others to get into volunteering. BUT sport volunteers have never had an easy way of tracking and recording the competencies and skills they have learned through volunteering.

V4V has filled this gap with an innovative volunteer self-reflection tool.

Based on three years’ research, this easy-to-use app guides the sport volunteer through the process of analysing what they have done while volunteering and then provides an individual profile revealing the competencies, skills and personal qualities they have developed. It will then give them a downloadable report which can easily be pasted into a CV or resumé. All for free!

The whole process can be done in 30 minutes. It is easy to use, interactive and allows the user to return again and again and build up their profile as their volunteering career progresses.

Try the fee online interactive sport volunteer self-reflection tool here.

And Don’t Forget the Research

Both the tools described above are based on desk research, interviews and a massive online survey of 2,723 sport organisations, most at grassroots level. All the findings have been compiled into a detailed comprehensive report which explores the realities, opportunities and challenges facing European sport volunteering. As well as giving valuable insights into this vital topic, the report also provides conclusions and recommendations for sport organisation leaders to consider and put into practice.

Download the Research Report on Sport Volunteering

Let’s All Help to Renew, Grow and Sustain Sport Volunteering!
As we embark on this transformative journey, we invite sports organisations from all sports and nations to join in championing sport volunteering and taking practical steps promote positive change in the way sport organisations manage, develop and retain their volunteers.

• Try the tools!
• Read the report!
• Spread the word to everyone who could benefit!

Visit the project web page

Full list of partners
European Observatoire of Sport and Employment (EOSE) – Coordinator, International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA), European Volunteer Centre (CEV), World Rugby, International Judo Federation Academy Foundation (IJF), Romanian Football Federation (FRF), Finnish Athletics Federation (SUL), Sport and Recreation Alliance (SRA), Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IDPJ), Estonian Foundation of Sports Education and Information (FSEI), National Institute for Sport Research (NISR), Hungarian University of Sports Science (HUSS), Leeds Beckett University (LBU).

Project contact:
Mr Aurélien Favre – EOSE Executive Director