19 July 2023
The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and the Sport Volunteer Coalition have released a report outlining the progress made since launching the Sport Volunteer Coalition Action Plan in 2022.
The four-year plan aims to enable more Australians to volunteer in sport and enhance the sport volunteering experience. The ASC leads the implementation of the plan, with Coalition members supporting the delivery across four strategic themes: Celebrate, Empower, Reimagine and Innovate.
The activities in the first year of the plan have focussed on mobilising and empowering the sector. The reflections in report represent the work of the Coalition and ASC to advocate to the sector on behalf of volunteers, sharing and amplifying their contributions to the broader community.
As the delivery of the plan continues, and changes can be observed across the individual and community levels, the Coalition will be able to assess and measure the plan’s broader impact on a larger scale.
Coalition chair and ASC Director of Sport Programs Dr Lindsey Reece said empowering sporting organisations to prioritise our volunteer workforce had been integral to this year’s achievements and thanked the more than 60 organisations that had formally embraced the plan as official supporters.
“We continue to understand the value in establishing community partnerships. The community is the very place where the plan will drive meaningful change and enable more Australians to experience inclusive and accessible opportunities to volunteer within positive and safe environments,” Dr Reece said.
In its second year, the Coalition will continue building resources for the sector to foster a joyful and safe experience for sport volunteers and focus on tackling inequalities in the sector.