EOSE, ISCA and the full consortium V4V project partners have launched a new survey aimed at the whole sport sector which covers key issues related to sport volunteering. We invite sport organisations around the world with an interest in sport volunteering and the recruitment, retention, and engagement of sport volunteers to take part.

V4V is an EU Erasmus+ Sport project that aims to analyse and make visible the skills acquired through volunteering in sport in Europe and improve the situation for sport volunteering in Europe. V4V is led by EOSE with the active support of 12 partners (national and international sport federations, a government body, two universities, two research centres and two European networks). The partners now call on the whole sport sector to support this vital initiative through completing and promoting the European Skills Survey on Sport Volunteering. 

Take part now and have your say on sport volunteering in Europe

Find the survey in your language here

Sport volunteers are vital
You know that volunteers are vital at every level in sport and physical activity, from local grassroots participation to elite international competitions. So much sport and physical activity simply could not happen without those who freely give their time, energy, and commitment to our sector. Many volunteers gain huge personal and social benefits from their volunteering experiences. Sport volunteering, at its best, is a ‘win-win’ situation. 

But there is a problem
Even before Covid-19, however, there was evidence that sport volunteering was in decline across Europe. There are now worrying signs that the pandemic has made the situation worse, and this could have a longer-term impact on the future of the sport and physical activity sector. 

Let's make things better for sport volunteers and sport organisations
As European sport moves into recovery, there is a real need to find practical solutions to rebuild the volunteer workforce by attracting more people with the right attitudes, motivations and skillsets, and retaining them through good quality volunteer training and management. This is the main aim of the ongoing V4V project, an Erasmus+ sport project led by the European Observatoire of Sport and Employment (EOSE) with the active support of 12 partners (national and international sport federations, a government body, two universities, two research centres and two European networks)

More details about V4V can be found at: http://www.v4v-sport.eu

We need more hard facts about sport volunteering
However, before V4V can identify and develop  innovative solutions, the project needs to find out more about sport volunteering and the main challenges organisations face, and to hear about good practices and possible solutions. We have already carried out exhaustive desk research and interviewed 50 sport volunteers across Europe and beyond. The last strand of our research includes now a survey of all sport organisations across Europe (EU and non-EU countries) to do just that. 

The survey is a unique attempt to reach out to the broadest range of sport organisations of all shapes and sizes (clubs, associations, federations etc.) across Europe to find out more about how the sector recruits, trains and manages their volunteers. We also want to find out more about the skills needs of volunteers in the many roles they play, the challenges sport organisations face in regard to volunteering and hear about possible solutions.

The survey is available in 18 European languages. You can find links to all surveys here:

https://projects.eose.org/groundbreaking-european-skills-survey-on-sport-volunteering-is-now-open/