AREA OF WORK

Volunteering and Youth Voice

Broadening horizons and raising ambitions

When it comes to volunteering, there is no level playing field. Data from Sport England’s Active Lives survey shows that people from lower socio-economic backgrounds are under-represented in volunteering, comprising just 11% of all weekly sport volunteers but 31% of the adult population.

The reasons behind this trend are simple. All too often, there are few, if any, opportunities for young people living in underserved communities to play sport – and if less sport is being played, then there’s less chance of a motivated youngster finding somewhere to help out. When these opportunities are made available, however, StreetGames finds that many young people will gladly rise to the challenge.

Doorstep Sport creates these opportunities, allowing young people to gain new experiences, take responsibility, be challenged, receive training and mentoring and earn new qualifications. Our volunteering approach is designed so that young people develop key life and transferrable skills including independence, leadership, teamwork, communication and problem-solving.

Our volunteering principles are based on ongoing feedback from young people who decide what works for them. At their core, volunteering opportunities should be FABS:

FUN

ALTRUISTIC – providing a chance to give back

Providing a sense of BELONGING

Offering SELF-DEVELOPMENT

Having been awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award in 2012, we have continued to grow our volunteer impact year on year, creating more opportunities for young people to try new sports and activities, develop skills, go to new places and meet new people – and were delighted to be awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Volunteering Award in 2022.

A volunteering journey

Discover more about our work in this area

Explore related insights and reports

Research & Insights Item
27 September 2023

1,000 Young Voices Research

Learn more about our 1,000 Young Voices Research and the seven youth segments created from the findings.

Research & Insights Item
5 June 2023

SEWSCAP Peer Research – Impact Report

This report details the approach taken and the impact of the 2022 Peer Research and Social Action project in South East Wales, in partnership with SEWSCAP.

Research & Insights Item
9 March 2023

StreetGames Gen22

StreetGames were delighted to be selected as the flagship Sport & Social Action provider for the Gen22 programme.

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