Prepared by:
Christine May, Senior Research Consultant, Clearinghouse for Sport
Evaluated by:
Brendan Lynch, Sport Consultant (April 2019)
Reviewed by: Australasian Sport Information Network
Last updated: 13 October 2020
Content disclaimer: See Clearinghouse for Sport disclaimer
An estimated 3 million Australians volunteer in the sport and active recreation sector each year.
Volunteers contribute to the social and economic value of sport, especially at the community level. Many sports and sporting organisations would not be able to run without volunteers who fill many critical roles, including coach, official, manager, administrator, board and committee member.
Volunteers also support major events, such as the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Key messages
Approximately 3 million Australians donate their time and energy to community sport and recreation clubs. The estimated value of labour input by sport sector volunteers in Australia is $4 billion per year.
Volunteering has been linked to positive mental, social and physical benefits. Older volunteers in particular may experience less depression and greater life satisfaction than non-volunteers.
Providing ongoing education and training opportunities, positive recognition and other forms of support for volunteers, has been shown to dramatically improve volunteer recruitment and retention rates and make Australian sport more sustainable.
