intranet for member clubs to use if they wished. One hundred completed questionnaires were returned to the researcher for analysis, as shown:
Respondents to pilot study Respondents Total Sports clubs RDA groups Volunteers 25 15 10 Adult members 25 12 13 Young members 22 11 11 Club officers 19 12 7 External orgs 9 2 7 Total 100 52 48
This is not a large dataset on which to base conclusions. However, the research was focused less on conducting a comprehensive impact assessment than on testing the format for wider use, and this aim was satisfied by the response.
The extent to which the pilot results can be taken as representative is affected by three factors: situations and findings may vary in different sports; selection of case studies was determined by the national governing bodies (NGBs); and self-selected responses may bias findings. Two particular points should be noted: NGBs recommended Clubmark or ClubsFirst accredited clubs, implying a level of organisation which may not be typical; and young volunteers were not well represented among respondents.
The findings, however, are felt to be indicative of the impacts of sport volunteers, offering useful initial evidence and the basis for more detailed assessments in future.
Findings of the pilot
Impacts are presented in three sets: • expected or ‘obvious’ impacts; • less well-known impacts; and • more controversial or potentially negative impacts.
In the back of the net … the obvious impacts Widely claimed impacts of sport volunteers are validated by the study. Volunteers are the lifeblood of sport in local communities, • providing opportunities, and improving health and fitness • providing enjoyment and fun for participants • bringing people together socially • developing skills and confidence.
The presence of volunteers in clubs and groups enables them to function successfully and, indeed, to exist at all. Most players express high levels of satisfaction with the quantity and usefulness of the help and support they get
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from volunteers, and club officers agree that volunteers ensure a satisfying and rewarding experience for all. Volunteers contribute significantly to the value of clubs’ work, income and financial welfare, and to building and enhancing their profile and reputation.
Volunteers’ work in their clubs and with external organisations creates affordable opportunities to take part in sport, and has a positive impact on the health, fitness and wellbeing of players, riders and the community.
The sheer enjoyment of sport comes across very decisively. Riders and players describe the fun and buzz they get from their involvement. The social aspect is major; everyone agrees overwhelmingly that they have made new friends and contacts. There are also marked impacts on personal development, improving confidence, social skills and sporting skills, and this is particularly strong among young people.
What is noticeable is that players and riders gain more than volunteers themselves. While they benefit from a sense of satisfaction and the social aspects of their volunteering, impacts on their personal development, fitness and health, are more muted or absent. This is particularly true of sports clubs, although less so of RDA groups.
At a trot or a gallop… less well-known impacts These impacts have large claims made for them in relation to volunteering in general, but there has been little research on them in sport:
• building a sense of community • building trust among people • mutual understanding and breaking down barriers • participation in other activities • employability and performance.
These impacts, which embrace social capital indicators and economic effects, show mixed results. They are very strong for young players and riders, enhancing their sense of belonging, their trust in other people, and their understanding of people from different backgrounds or with differing abilities. Among adult players and riders, there are some increases in their sense of community, understanding of other people and participation in other activities, but fewer gains in trust.
The majority of sports club volunteers experience relatively little in the way of social capital impacts, although these are more significant for RDA volunteers. And most volunteers report few effects on their performance in other areas of their lives and on their employability.
These economic impacts are strongest for young people – players and riders, and some young volunteers. All the young players – and a majority of adults too – say their performance at school or work has benefited. In addition, there are some impacts in terms of choosing a career, finding employment and also, for RDA riders, gaining greater independence.
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