Sporting clubs need their volunteers

Volunteers are the backbone of community sports clubs across Australia, and we all know someone who almost singlehandedly keeps a sports club afloat and running smoothly.

Research from the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) showed 42 per cent of sports clubs reported a decline in volunteering, in large part due to the increase in workload, pressures and responsibilities of implementing COVID-19 protocols (which hopefully have ended for good).

The ASF’s recent survey on the impact of COVID-19 on Australia’s estimated 70,000 community clubs found that 50 per cent of community sports clubs reported that their financial reserves were in decline.

With the full effects of the COVID-19 pandemic still to play out community sports clubs need help to continue to perform their vital role in communities around Australia.

The Australian Sports Foundation and CLUBMAP are proud to announce an exciting new partnership to guide Australian community sporting clubs to success, both on and off the field.

The initiative focuses on delivering to the volunteers on committees and in organisational roles, strategic advice, resources and tax-deductible fundraising opportunities with importance placed on revenue generation and good governance in sports committee structures.

“During more than 30 years in community and professional sport, I have seen the importance of volunteers at every level,” said CLUBMAP Co-Founder and CEO Terry Dillon.

“The proven CLUBMAP approach shows volunteer committees how to create healthy, thriving sports clubs that connect to their communities.

“The most important step a community sports club can take is to make life easy for the people who are running the club. One of the ways to do this is diversification of revenue streams, which is why we’ve long been recommending the Australian Sports Foundation,” said Mr Dillon.

Australian Sports Foundation CEO Patrick Walker said the organisation was thrilled to partner with CLUBMAP to help sports clubs be sustainable and successful.

The initiative will focus on delivering strategic advice, resources and tax-deductible fundraising opportunities to sporting clubs across Australia with importance placed on revenue generation and good governance in sports committee structures.

For more information visit asf.org.au or clubmap.com.au.