20 June 2007

A big thank-you to all sports volunteers

New Zealand’s countless sport and recreation volunteers were thanked by Sport and Recreation Minister Trevor Mallard today as part of National Volunteer Awareness Week.

"This week is about raising awareness of the invaluable work volunteers do in our communities. Volunteers are at the heart of the sport and recreation sector in New Zealand.

"Each week thousands of coaches, instructors, administrators, officials and other organisers give up their time so that others can enjoy participating in sport and physical recreation. These opportunities just wouldn’t exist without volunteer support," said Trevor Mallard.

"We want a sport and recreation sector that values and supports volunteers and the contribution they make.

"Volunteering is part of the New Zealand lifestyle and we want to do all we can to preserve something so essentially Kiwi, that New Zealand would be a different place without it."

Increasingly, sports are finding it difficult to find and keep volunteers. Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC), the government agency responsible for promoting, encouraging and supporting sport and physical recreation in New Zealand, is working with the sector to help increase the capability of sports clubs so they can more effectively manage and support their volunteers.

SPARC is also running a radio promotion throughout the week thanking sport and recreation volunteers and will be giving away bumper stickers and posters through its website www.sparc.org.nz.

National Volunteer Awareness Week is from 17-23 June and is coordinated by Volunteer New Zealand. For more information on National Volunteer Awareness Week check out www.volunteeringnz.org.nz.

ENDS

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