Sport England’s new strategy for volunteering, Volunteering in an Active Nation, sets out their plans to allow more people to engage in all types of volunteering through sport and physical activity. 
Sport England’s aim is to enable people from all walks of life to enjoy the benefits of volunteering in sport and physical activity – whatever their background, age or interests. And they want to make the experience as appealing and rewarding as possible for everyone.
To help achieve this, Sport England have two new funds that aim to create exciting new volunteering and social action opportunities.
The Opportunity Fund
The Opportunity Fund aims to get people from economically disadvantaged communities to volunteer. The Opportunity Fund targets people, aged 20+, from economically disadvantaged communities.
Sport England wants to invest in projects that benefit people facing disadvantage as a result of the community they live in – and that allow them to make a positive contribution to those communities. These could range from inner-city areas with high levels of crime and social exclusion to remote rural areas with few services.
The Potentials Fund
Sport England wants to create opportunities that get people helping others from an early age. Many of those who take part in social action regularly started when they were as young as 10. The Potentials Fund targets children and young people aged 10 to 20 (with a particular focus on 10-14 year-olds) who are interested in doing something to benefit their community, through social action.
Sport attracts many young people and can provide a springboard to social action. Just over half of young people prefer sport to any other volunteering pastimes.
Sport England are keen to test bold new approaches with their Potentials Fund to get young people involved in social action that includes sport and physical activity – especially those who might not have been involved in sport before.
The deadline for expressions of interest to the two new funds is: 24 April 2017, 12 pm.
For further information and to apply, visit: www.sportengland.org/funding/funding-for-volunteering/, or contact 0345 8508 508, or email: [email protected]
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 Sport England - volunteering-funding-investment-guide.pdf | 1.39 MB |