Community Volunteering - About us - Dover School Sport Partnership

Community Volunteering

What is it?

Step into Sport is a community volunteering scheme focused on 16-19 year olds. It rewards young leaders that make a contribution to the running of community clubs, festivals and events through nationally recognised certification and training.

How does it work?

Working closely with your School Sport Co-Ordinator, you can decide on a club placement that is tailored to your needs. The program encourages you to apply your strengths and be creative, with a variety of roles available; from Coaching to IT and Media. Once the placement has been decided, you are ready to start making a massive difference.

Every young person on the Step into Sport program will be connected to the internet diary system. With a similar format to Facebook, this enables you to view extended opportunities, allowing you to further your experience whilst logging your hours spent in your current club.

There will be 3 Step into Sport conferences in Kent, early in 2008. Your School Sport Partnership will select 20 people to attend, giving them a unique, one-day opportunity, to gain further experience in delivering sport within an interactive and enjoyable environment. If you do not attend, don't worry, there is no limit on the number of people who can register.

How can I benefit?

Step into Sport provides you with the opportunity to learn and acquire and develop a range of skills, which are transferable to many areas such as further education and future careers. More specifically:

• Helps develop and improve ‘life skills' (i.e. communication and interpersonal skills) and ‘work skills' (i.e. organisational, leadership, supervisory and management) in a supportive and stimulating environment
• The opportunity to attend further training courses and achieve wider qualifications
• Facilitates the completion of other volunteer awards
• Cascading opportunities with regards to part-time work within the sport and leisure industry
• Acquisition of new skills, experience, certification and references with which to approach future employers or higher education institutes

What will I receive?

• Kent Sports Development Unit ‘Sports Volunteer' t-shirt for 25 hours
• Bronze certificate and Kent Sports Development Unit ‘Sports Volunteer' hoody for 50 hours
• Silver certificate for 100 hours
• Gold certificate for 200 hours

The Benefits of Being Involved with Step into Sport

What's in it for you and your school?

• More qualified coaches and officials within your school and the local community
• Helps the school to deliver leadership and citizenship in a meaningful way
• Development of additional school to club links and its contribution to PESSCL data
• Facilitate partnership working with National Governing Bodies and County Sports Partnerships

What's in it for a young volunteer?

The opportunity to learn, acquire and develop a range of skills, which are transferable to many areas, such as higher education and future careers. More specifically:

• Helps develop and improve ‘life skills' (i.e. confidence, communication, self esteem), and ‘work skills' (time management, organisation, leadership) in an enjoyable and supportive environment.
• The opportunity to attend further training courses
• Enables the completion of other volunteer awards
• Cascading opportunities with regards to part-time work, but also being equipped with new skills and experience in order to approach future employers.

What's in it for clubs?

• More volunteers who are keen to learn and support the club
• Allows clubs to deliver parts of their action plan that they couldn't previously due to a lack of volunteers
• Identifies young role models for junior sections
• Enables existing coaches to pick up ideas and want to become actively involved as volunteer co-ordinator's
• Official recognition for being involved from the Governing Body
• No cost
• Help deliver best practice in volunteer management
• Links to schools will contribute to achieving Clubmark status
• Engaging young volunteers and preparing succession plans for the future is seen as an indicator of a healthy developing club and as such it can be a benefit to clubs who want to access small grants

Step in to Sport Volunteer Passport  view more

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