Welsh Sports Association supporting National Volunteers Week
Following National Volunteers Week #VolunteersWeek – the WSA would like to join in thanking all those thousands of volunteers who make sport possible in Wales. Volunteers have always been the lifeblood of the sporting community – be it coaching, officiating, marshalling, washing kits, or chairing committees – sport in Wales simply could not exist without an army of volunteers who give up their time and energy, rain or shine, so that others have the chance to take part.
The principals of community spirit and helping others has been as important in the past 18 months as ever before, and it is this spirit that has helped the sport sector come together and pull through this difficult period. As we begin to return to some normality – it is again those selfless volunteers that have enabled so many of us to return to sport.
Watch this fantastic short video by Sport Wales about an adapted cycling club in Conwy for people with disabilities run entirely by volunteers. This is just one example of how clubs across Wales are encouraging volunteers to return to their local sports teams and clubs so that more people can benefit from being active – and again shows what a huge difference to people’s lives volunteers have.
As rewarding as volunteering is – people’s lives are getting busier, and so attracting volunteers may be harder than it once was. You may not be aware, but there are many different ways in which you can volunteer; please see the detail on NED roles & the WSA Knowledge Bank below. The WSA is committed to helping Welsh sport find people from diverse backgrounds who share our member organisations’ desire to see their sport grow and thrive.
NED roles
Finding the right people to help your organisation in its strategic decision making is vital. The WSA partnered up with recruitment specialists Acorn in 2017 to collaborate with national sports governing bodies to strengthen their boards with non-exec Directors. In less than 3 years the WSA has assisted with the placement of up to 50 non-exec board members across Welsh sport. If you’re considering an NED role, please view our range of NED vacancies across Welsh Sport or contact our partners Acorn directly.
Acorn provide a ‘pro-bono’ service to WSA members looking to strengthen their Boards with voluntary NED’s. This includes providing members with a comprehensive digital marketing campaign and advertising via a number of job boards, as well as cascading opportunities to an exclusive NED portfolio.
WSA Knowledge bank
The WSA launched the Knowledge Bank at Wales Week in London 2020. The Knowledge Bank offers an opportunity for professionals from all different backgrounds – including marketing, social media, accountancy, business development and governance, to ‘deposit’ donations of their time and expertise for the benefit of Welsh sport. It is hoped that this will provide sport organisations the chance to link up with people with the skills and knowledge to help nurture, support and develop a vibrant sport sector that is set up for success.
From as little as a donation of a few hours worth of expertise to our Knowledge Bank, your business know-how and capability could make a huge positive difference to the viability and resilience of a sports organisation, and ultimately, to the well-being of the people of Wales.
To register an interest in donating your time and talent to our Knowledge Bank, please sign up here
Have you been volunteering?
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been record numbers of people in Wales giving their time freely to help others. This local support is vital when it comes to building stronger and supportive communities, during and in recovery from the pandemic.
Strategic Research & Insight are working with Public Health Wales and voluntary sector partners to find out more about the actions, motivations and challenges of both formal and informal volunteers.
If you have been actively involved in supporting others in their community in any way. Public Health Wales are inviting those who are over 18 years, living, working or volunteering in Wales to take part in a brief survey. The survey link can be accessed on laptop, tablet or smartphone.
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