Strictly embargoed until 00.01hrs
18 October 2006
The key concepts of activity-based volunteering reducing obesity and improving health cannot be ignored by politiciansBaroness Julia Neuberger, chair of the Commission on the Future of Volunteering, will say today. The Baroness is a keynote speaker at the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management (ILAM) and the National Association for Sports Development (NASD) conference in Leicester.
In her speech she will underline the importance of sports volunteering, particularly at a local level, if targets on improving health and community cohesion in deprived areas are to be achieved.
She will say that the sector should learn from projects such as the Sport Action Zone (SAZ), which has displayed impressive results in improving the health of those in hard-to-reach or deprived groups. The Liverpool SAZ showed a 12% increase in participation in sport and physical activity among the over 50s, as well as a 10% increase among the socio-economically deprived.
Baroness Neuberger will tell the conference that sports volunteering activities not only aid physical fitness but also improve confidence and skills. The Home Office initiative Positive Futures organises football tournaments (amongst other activities) for young people in inner city Southampton and Barking and Dagenham. These have helped the participants’ decision making and led to wider educational opportunities than they would otherwise have experienced.
One in five of England’s 22 million volunteers are involved in the sports and physical recreation sector, and although they may not readily label themselves “volunteers”, the unpaid coaches, groundsmen and committee members all contribute to healthier communities.
Baroness Neuberger will also say: “With the Department of Health’s predictions that 13 million people in England will be obese by 2010 if nothing is done to halt this problem, the need for people to lead active lives is more important than ever. We already know that volunteering aids community cohesion but its contribution to physical fitness is often overlooked.
“This government needs to look at ways in which we can improve not just the quantity but also the quality of volunteering. We need only look at the 100,000 people who have already expressed an interest in volunteering for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics to appreciate the existing potential. I would now challenge the sport and volunteering sectors to fully engage in the next phase of the Commission’s consultation so that we can ensure that the voices of the largest involver of volunteers in the country are heard.”
Notes to editors:
- The Commission on the Future of Volunteering was established by the England Volunteering Development Council (EVDC) to develop a long term vision for volunteering in England as a legacy of the Year of the Volunteer 2005. It is sponsored by the Volunteering Hub and supported by Volunteering England. The Commission is due to present its findings in autumn 2007.
Press enquiries should be directed to Cat Dean on 020 7520 8932, email:
cat.dean@volunteeringengland.org.uk