1/5/12

Adam Coffman of Haringey has won the Volunteer of the Year Award, sponsored by SkillsActive, at the PRO-ACTIVE London Awards for Sport & Physical Activity.

Adam has made a massive impact in his local community in Haringey through three key projects.

First, Adam played a key role in the complete regeneration of Fairlands Park, which resulted in a new play and sports area. He was then successful in securing funding to run regular tennis sessions at the facility.

His second project was to develop a primary schools cricket programme, which involved a series of cricket coaching sessions and a primary schools Cricket tournament.

His final project has been the establishment of a Sunday ‘Family Activities Programme’, resulting in regular family events and activities, such as cycle rides, family days out, cycle workshops and training courses.

Head of National Partnerships Stephen Mitchell says: “Whether they be a coach, official or club treasurer, volunteers play a vital role in encouraging and supporting people to get involved, and stay involved, in sport and active leisure. SkillsActive is really pleased to acknowledge Adam's wide ranging efforts in his community.”

Over 500 nominations were received for the PRO-ACTIVE London 2012 awards on 27 April - the only regional awards which celebrate the contribution of thousands of people, the majority of whom are volunteers, who make it possible for so many people to take part. Other winners include:

•    Outstanding Contribution to Sport – Alex Welsh (Multi boroughs)

•    Young Volunteer of the Year - Jordan Sargeant (Havering)

•    Coach / Instructor of the Year – Pierre Aghabala (Croydon/Wandsworth)

•    Project of the Year – BMX Legacy Project (Greenwich, Newham, Waltham Forest, Hackney, Tower Hamlets)

•    Club of the Year - Waltham Forest Hockey Club (Waltham Forest)

For more information on the past and present awards and the nominations please visit www.pro-activelondonawards.org

19/3/12

Two Personal Best learners have scooped prestigious volunteering roles for this year's Olympic Games.

Richard Ross, 47, and Charlie Hefford, 27, both from Surrey, will each volunteer 10 days of their time during this summer's event. Richard will be based at Wimbledon and Charlie will be an events team leader at the Olympic Park.

More than 240,000 applied to the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) Games Maker volunteering roles, and only 70,000 were accepted.

Richard said: "It's a dream come true. I have always felt that volunteering is up my street because I think I am good with people and helping others, so thumbs up to LOCOG for having us. It has been a long time waiting to find out but now I am really looking forward to it and can't wait for it all to start."

Charlie said: "I remember when we first found out we would be sitting interviews that only ten per cent of the 100,000 interviewed would get a role. There were ten of us sat around the table who had applied and I remember thinking, 'Oh no, only one of us here is going to get accepted'."

Richard and Charlie applied for the roles after completing SkillsActive’s Personal Best programme. The programme, which ended in March 2011, provided 6000 long term unemployed people with a level 1 award in event volunteering and volunteer experience as well as the chance to volunteer at the 2012 Games. About 15% of those that completed the programme applied to become Games Makers.

Lizzie Kemp, project coordinator at Sussex Downs College, which delivered the programme in Surrey and Thames Valley, says: “We are so excited for them at being given this lifetime opportunity and very proud to have been part of their journey.”

James Emmett, Head of Employer Engagement at SkillsActive, says: “Many of the people that took part in Personal Best struggled to find work because they lacked relevant experience or the right skill set. We’re proud Richard and Charlie gained the confidence, through our programme, to apply for this amazing experience. This will, I’m sure, be the start of great things for them both.”

Richard and Charlie, who are both residents of the Grange, a support centre that helps people with learning disabilities live independent lives, will complete an extensive training course this month to help them prepare for their roles.

To learn more about the projects and programmes SkillsActive is involved with see Projects and Programmes

13/1/12

SkillsActive, the Sector Skills Council for Sport and Active Leisure, has welcomed the new five year Youth and Community Sport Strategy announced by Sport England and the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

The organisation hopes to sit at the heart of the delivery, helping to ensure a skilled, competent and motivated workforce is available to implement grassroots programmes.

Steve Mitchell, Head of National Partnerships at SkillsActive, explains:

“We are fully behind the new focus on sports participation for 14-25 year olds, and driving a step change in the sporting behaviour of a generation, never seen before in the UK. We also recognise the huge part SkillsActive can play in upskilling the existing workforce and training the next generation of sporting administrators, coaches and activators.

“We plan to build on our existing relationships with NGBs and the CSP network, to continue to develop a talented pool of young, dynamic and work ready individuals. Moving forward, sports clubs will need to reach further into local communities to flush out new talent. SkillsActive has already demonstrated success in this area through its involvement in programmes such as Personal Best and the World Skills London 2011 Volunteer Development Programme.

“SkillsActive would welcome the opportunity to work across Government departments to target the huge unemployment challenge the country is facing, by getting people off benefits and into work. Sport and physical activity is the perfect catalyst for radical changes in behaviour for life and building the aspirations of our young people.

“We know from our experience that working in partnership we can meet the challenges laid down by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Work and Pensions, by offering a fit for purpose qualification framework, apprenticeship programmes and job creation scheme the industry will require to sustain increases in sports participation.”

Reflecting on two of the partners named in the strategy, Steve Mitchell adds: “We are really pleased to see two of our closest partners, StreetGames and the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust (DKHLT) recognised as key partners to deliver the strategy over the next five years.”

Volunteering plays an important role in the sport and active leisure sector, with many local community schemes being run and managed by volunteers. There are many opportunities open to people in the sector - from government funding to free training and qualifications.

For funding opportunities in coaching, please see our Coaching Investment Programe.

How do I become a volunteer?

There are several different ways to become a sports volunteer:

• To find out about volunteering in a particular sport, you need to contact the National Governing Body for that sport

• If you wish to volunteer in a particular area, you can find out what your local County Sports Partnership has on offer for sport volunteers, including training for coaches and officials

• You can also benefit from coaching bursaries if you want to become a qualified coach in a sport

• There are also online resources run by local community groups, including the Do It site where you can find your local Volunteer Centre