1. Sport grows around young volunteers

2. Club Development Officer Shires of Plantaganet, Denmark, Cranbrook
Who was involved: collaborative pilot project developed by DBBA, Nicole (CDO) and myself. Chris Thompson at DSR Great Southern provided a small ARC grant to DBA for the pilot.
Joint winner of DSR Industry Award for Volunteers
Nicole Selesnew
Club Development Officer
Shires of Plantaganet, Denmark, Cranbrook

3. Background - Denmark Pilot Program
Denmark Committee – ‘ageing’ committee
Denmark Basketball Club – 500+ members
Active Junior Program (club and school based)
Volunteer Dilemma
Too few people, doing too much, for too long
Fresh approach to recruiting and training volunteers
Ran from November 2015 (design and development) to May Small pilot project
In a town with approx. 3000, 500 play basketball. Very active club and school program.
But the usual volunteer dilemma

4. Goals Succession Volunteer Plan for Club
Train and support the next wave of sport volunteers
2. Efficient and Effective Club Committee
Train and support committee to improve meetings, governance, practices
Two key goals:
Succession Volunteer Plan for the next wave of sport volunteers
Run effective and efficient club committees
. Our

5. Third goal was about raising the awareness of volunteering in sport and acknowledge the contribution made by sport volunteers
Sport operates with the help of valued volunteers – the ‘unsung heroes’.
Often we don’t recognise ourselves as volunteers, see ourselves as players, ex-players, parents, coaches.
There are over 2.3 million sport volunteers in Australia.
Over 90% of sport is organised by volunteers 1 in 3 adults volunteer in sport.
The key is getting the next generation to volunteer.

6. Youth Volunteer Research
1 in 3 young volunteers
What’s a volunteer???
Great environments – clubs and schools
More volunteer opportunities in non-metro communities
Research undertaken from 2015 into Youth volunteering in Australia by National Youth Affairs Research Scheme and Monash University (Assoc Professor Lucas Walsh and Dr Ros Black).
Key findings:
Though nearly 1 in 3 young people volunteer, most don’t identify with the term volunteer.
More likely to engage in informal, rather than formal volunteering.
Young peoples volunteering is not always freely chosen (eg school placements, learning programs)
Social participation and youth volunteering blurring the lines of volunteering
What age group youth? - study focused on 12 to 25 age group.
Give2Sport suggests and Gap year students.

7. 4X ‘Many young people lacked opportunities or
invitations to volunteer’ 4X
Key finding was that many young people lacked opportunities or invitations to volunteer.
Young people who were directly approached or invited were 4 times more likely to volunteer than those who had to create their own volunteering opportunities.

8. Attend Committee Meetings
2 hours
Training
Committee & ‘Interns’
Mentor
Attend Committee Meetings
Special Project
Key 2 hours time slots
Intern’s - identified and supported
Club committees trained and supported.
Special project – Denmark interns took on a Special Project to run the Grand Final for the club. Coordinated all the logistics. Brought fresh ideas, new approaches and ran a great event.

9. Outcomes from Denmark Pilot
10 juniors identified and invited
8 ‘interns’ commenced, 7 completed Give2Sport
4 new young committee members in 2016/20017
Retirement of 2 committee members
Succession Plan commenced (2 year rotation)
1 junior

10. Outcomes from Denmark Pilot
Understanding the ‘behind the scenes’
work that make sport happen
Confidence to be on committee

11. Outcomes from Denmark Pilot
Understanding the role of volunteers
Next wave of Denmark basketball junior ‘interns’ in the wings
Positive experience – ‘plants the volunteer seed’ for the future

12. What’s Happened Since? Logo’s and templates
Video updated (short and long version)
Presenters resources developed

13. Draft Resources Developed
PROGRAM Fact Sheet Flow Chart CLUB Invitation letters Certificates of Acknowledgement Useful Document Templates (Checklist, Agenda, Club Position Templates) Training Power Points and notes INTERNS Mock Up Meeting Cards Scenario Cards Volunteer Cards
Resources are colour coded for Club and Interns. Evaluation tool (survey monkey) still to be completed. Quick feedback from club delegates and interns.
Show some of the resources

14. Sport Grows Around Young Volunteers
Adapted the DSR Volunteer Tag Line
Four clubs in the Great Southern are waiting for funding opportunity to trial in 2017/2018:
Albany Surf Life Saving Club
Katanning Football Club
Albany Netball Association
Denmark Surf Life Saving Club

15. Every club we have spoken to briefly about this program can see the potential.
Opportunity to train new/young volunteers who at some point may come back into the sporting arena, depending on life stages…..
Fresh approach on an age-old challenge. Targeted approach to increase the number of young volunteers within a club AND improve the committee practices.
(practice what you preach).

16. Were the Denmark Interns exceptional
Were the Denmark Interns exceptional??? Yes, they were but we have a belief that there are other such young volunteers waiting in the wings, if given the opportunity and support.
Questions

17. ‘Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.’
Henry Ford