Europe’s ministers for sport discussed, at their EU Council meeting in Brussels on Tuesday 14 May, strategies to breathe new life into volunteering in sport, a sector hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. During the EU Council, chaired by the Minister-President of the French-speaking Community of Belgium, Pierre-Yves Jeholet, the Member States shared their experiences and proposals in response to the two questions put to them to discuss potential issues concerning volunteering in sport.
On the one hand, the ministers explored measures to encourage volunteering at various levels. They acknowledged a general decline in volunteering, exacerbated by the health crisis, noting a reduction in availability and enthusiasm for volunteering, despite its importance to sport at all levels, from major international events to local activities.
The ministers also discussed best practices and successful experiences at local, regional and national level to improve the situation.
In addition, they discussed the barriers that discourage volunteering, such as administrative burdens and status constraints, and looked at ways of overcoming them to better engage volunteers.
Various forms of volunteering
Pierre-Yves Jeholet opened the debate by emphasising the diversity of forms that volunteering can take, from logistics to administrative support. He stressed the need to incorporate measures to further encourage volunteering in order to guarantee the development of sport.
In Spain, for example, legislation introduced in 2015 and updated in 2022 provides a framework for volunteering in sport, with a participative and intergenerational approach.
Local initiatives
Slovenia pointed out that, according to a study carried out in 2021, 64% of sports organisations in Slovenia rely heavily on volunteers, and 95% of them require the help of volunteers. To support this voluntary commitment, tools and measures have been introduced at local, regional and national level to facilitate the recording of volunteer work data, as well as training and mentoring programmes to facilitate the recruitment and integration of new volunteers. To promote and encourage volunteering, it has been suggested that employers who support employee volunteering should be rewarded with tax incentives.
Enhancing the value of volunteering
In Ireland, the government has implemented specific programmes to encourage volunteering among vulnerable communities. The Irish Minister, Thomas Byrne, stressed: “We fund more than a hundred clubs and associations to recruit volunteers from vulnerable communities or people with disabilities”.
France, represented by Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, argued in favour of enhancing the skills of volunteers. “In France, we have launched a public service linked to the validation of acquired experience, which makes it possible to obtain a diploma quickly thanks to the recognition of skills developed by volunteers as part of their activities”, explained the French Minister for Sport.
The social impact of volunteering in sport
The importance of volunteering in social cohesion and inclusion has been mentioned many times, with each minister acknowledging the role of volunteers as pillars of sport and society, in a period of post-pandemic recovery, and the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, where 45,000 volunteers are expected.
Self-organised sport and the EU Work Plan for Sport
During the EU Council, the European sports ministers approved conclusions on self-organised sport, highlighting its role in promoting active and healthy lifestyles in Europe. They observed that many Europeans, particularly women, the elderly and economically weaker social groups, do not comply with WHO guidelines on physical activity.
The EU Council thus encouraged the Member States and the Commission to promote self-organised sport, which can reduce barriers linked to time, cost and access to infrastructure. They also adopted a resolution on the EU Work Plan for Sport, valid from July 2024 to December 2027, which focuses on the integrity, socio-economic and sustainable impact of sport, as well as on increasing participation in sport and health-enhancing physical activity. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)