September 17, 2009

Sports volunteering


Back in 2006, EU sport ministers recognised ''The specific nature'' of non-profit sports organisations and agreed
that the difference between voluntary non-profit sports organisations and profit-seeking business enterprises ''should be taken into consideration in Community policies''. As part of a wider study on volunteering in the EU, launched in March, to reach a better understanding on the matter in different Member States and to help determine whether possible future policies and actions could be more effectively implemented at the European
level, an online survey on volunteering in sport has now been launched by the European Commission. This comes
ahead of the European Year of Volunteering in 2011.

Sports organisations, clubs and other stakeholders are being asked to give their impressions of how grassroots
sports structures currently work in their country and what the key trends are in order that the EU can tailor possible
future policies and actions including funding supports. The themes covered in the survey include the regulatory
framework for volunteering in sport, the socio-cultural dimension, and challenges and opportunities. More specifically, the survey tries to determine issues including the extent, if any, of legislation on the promotion or engagement of volunteers; experiences with recruiting, retaining and replacing volunteers; and whether specific tax exemptions are applied to sports organisations.

The survey is intended to provide a key basis for drafting 27 national factsheets on volunteering in sport which will
address the extent of sports volunteering, the relevant policies and regulatory and institutional arrangements in place, and the impact arising. A report analysing the main findings of these will be developed as a means of forming recommendations.

Further information

Posted by iroronan at September 17, 2009 06:16 PM