Volunteering
To make volunteering a more enjoyable and rewarding experience, volunteers need to be supported by programmes and initiatives on clearly defined pathways, that provide a number of opportunities. Although there are many volunteering initiatives, LRS have been working hard as a partnership to support the following initiatives:
Step into Sport is a national leadership and volunteering programme. It is a joint initiative between the Youth Sport Trust and Sport England and co-ordinated locally by Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport in conjunction with School Sports Partnerships.
It is part of the Government’s PE and Sport Strategy for Young People (PESSYP) and focuses on young people aged 11-19 years. It aims to encourage young people to undertake an involvement in sports leadership and volunteering that will continue into later life. Step into Sport has a structured pathway in which young people can achieve certificates for carrying out 50 hours (bronze award), 100 hours (silver award) and 200 hours (gold award) of volunteering both in the school and the local community.
In Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, there are dedicated vinvolved Sports Development Officers, working to raise the profile of sports volunteering for young people (aged 16–25 years) to increase the number and quality of sports volunteering opportunities and to support young people in their volunteering.
Part of v, the national youth volunteering programme, vinvolved is utilised locally to act as the support for young people moving from education into community volunteering. vinvolved has an accreditation scheme where by young people can work towards a v50 award (50 hours of volunteering) or vImpact award (100 hours of volunteering).
Personal Best
Personal Best is an exciting pre-employment programme designed to harness the unique motivating force of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to engage workless and socially excluded people with learning and opportunities in the labour market, lift their aspirations and create new life or career choices through volunteering. Personal Best is being managed jointly by Leicester College and b-inspired and supported by the Sports Volunteering Sub-group. Linked to this programme are the Recruit into Coaching and Achievement Projects which offer training, mentoring and employment opportunities to all volunteers throughout Leicester City. Go to www.personalbestprogramme.co.uk/ to find out more.
Sport@VAL
Is a project based at Voluntary Action LeicesterShire which aims to directly address the lower than average numbers of Leicester City residents who volunteer in sport. This is done through working with local clubs and organisations, community groups and National Governing Bodies of sport to raise the profile of sports volunteering and increase the number of sports opportunities available in the Leicester City. The project also recruits sports volunteers and provides advice and support to people wanting to volunteer in sport.
V-Active is an initiative in Rutland working towards developing sport and physical activity volunteering opportunities. Working with a number of partners to support the local community, it builds links into local sports clubs, providing opportunities for people of all ages to get the most out of volunteering.
