The Sports Coach Programme

Volunteers

The voluntary sector plays a crucial role in the delivery of sport in Wales. In the UK, some 1.5 million volunteers put an average of 125 hours a year into sport. This means that in Wales, their "value" in sport now exceeds £50 million per annum in time costs alone. A key role of Sports Council Wales is to increase the number of volunteers.

The current programmes of Sports Council Wales, requires a growth in volunteering to support sports development within schools and communities. The main drive behind Dragon Sport (an initiative which provides children of primary school age with fun and appropriate sporting opportunities) is the recruitment of parents and young people as volunteers. A full range of training is available to encourage, support and develop these essential volunteers.

Sports Council Wales studies have identified the need to increase the number of active volunteers involved in the development of sport in Bridgend County Borough. It is hoped that this is achievable through the following:

* Assisting schools in identifying volunteers to support after ..school activities and clubs.

* Providing training through Dragon Sport and Sports Leadership ..to support volunteers.

* Promotion of opportunities to volunteers by maintaining details ..of community sports clubs and associations.

* Encourage volunteers to become involved in creating ...opportunities for special interest groups ie. people with ...disabilities, women and girls, disadvantaged groups etc.