Volunteers are vital to community sporting clubs delivering sport. The availability and capacity of volunteers, however, is a barrier to opportunities for women and girls in sport.

The Physical Activity and Sport Insights research group, a collaboration between Victoria University and Federation University, undertook research which included interviews with 16 community sport club administrators.

The aim of this research project was to investigate community sports clubs’ volunteer capacity - including management, retention and recruitment - to engage women and girls in participating and volunteering in community sport.

This research was funded through the Change Our Game Research Grants Program.

The research found there are varied attitudes of club volunteers towards supporting opportunities for women and girls to play sport.

A range of recommended actions were identified that sports clubs can take to engage and retain volunteers, and to enable women and girls to play and volunteer in community sports.

Read the research summary here.

Supporting Resources

Australian Sports Commission – Volunteering - Volunteering | Australian Sports Commission (sportaus.gov.au)

Office for Women in Sport and Recreation - Change Our Game - Women in Sport and Recreation Recruitment and Retention Strategies

Office for Women in Sport and Recreation – Change Our Game – Research Summary: Men as Allies: supporting women and girls in community sport

Volunteering Victoria – Sport Volunteering Resources - Sport Volunteering Resources - Volunteering Victoria

Friday 27 October, 2023