Volunteering in Sport Could Exceed Value of UK Energy Sector

Oct. 22, 2014 - PRLog -- Join In, a London 2012 legacy charity that puts more volunteers into community sport, today publishes new, ground-breaking research revealing that the value of volunteering in sport could exceed the GDP of the UK energy sector.

Volunteering has long been associated with warm feelings and wellbeing in those who give their time. Using the latest economics of wellbeing, Join In has shown that those warm feelings could be amplified and worth as much as the energy sector that warms our homes.

The full report can be viewed here (http://www.joininuk.org/hidden-diamonds-true-value-of-sport-volunteers/):

Volunteering in Sport Boosts Wellbeing

The results of Join In’s research showed that volunteers’ personal wellbeing scores were twice as high as those who have never volunteered. In addition the more volunteering respondents did, the higher the scores. In addition to this the results of the research showed that these positive effects last beyond the duration of volunteering.

Volunteers Create More Participation in Sport

There’s no question that volunteers are vital to enabling participation in sport. Join In’s research shows that each volunteer can facilitate at least 8.5 additional participants, amplifying the health and wellbeing benefits of playing sport and being physically active, which are already well recognised.

Volunteers in Sport Feel Closer and Contribute More To Their Community

Volunteers in sport feel closer to their community. Volunteers in sport scored 3 to 4 times higher when asked if they feel part of their community and trust people in their community. Volunteers in sport also score six times higher in agreeing that they ‘put a lot of time and effort into being part of the community’.

The Numbers

It is when you combine these findings with the very latest economic thinking that you start to find some truly stunning results.

The volunteers in sport giving their time on wet weekends to coach, referee, make tea, do the accounts are generating £16,000 worth of wellbeing every year. With 3.2m volunteers in sport this creates an industry the size of the entire GDP of the UK energy sector with an economic value of £53bn.

Don’t Just Take Join In’s Word For It…

Join In and its partners research has taken place alongside emerging economic thinking and has built a compelling picture of a hidden industry that many of us take for granted but that has an immense value to the national wellbeing.

In April this year Lord Gus O’Donnell and Lord Layard launched their paper on “Policy and Wellbeing” and the Government Department of Culture, Media and Sport also released robust research on the economic value of volunteering and playing sport.

Added to that, last month the Chief Economist at the Bank of England, Andrew G Haldane*1, made a speech on the social value of volunteering in which he valued all volunteering at approximately £200bn. With sport being the single biggest area of volunteering in the UK at approximately 20% - Join In’s figure of £53bn is broadly consistent with the Chief Economist at the Bank of England – especially when you factor in all those people who play sport as a result of the volunteers who give their time.

They may not heat or light our homes but it seems the energy of the volunteers in grass root sport are just as important to our national wellbeing

Rebecca Birkbeck, CEO of Join In:

“Since our set up in the wake of London 2012, Join In has always celebrated the huge contribution made by sports volunteers across the country. Through this research we are able to put a true figure on the value of this investment, which is far larger than any of us had expected”

“At Join In people share their volunteering stories with us every day. Through this research we have been able to quantify the size of the investment sports volunteers are making in themselves and others.”


Prime Minister David Cameron:

“Volunteers in sport are making an important contribution to our country. We saw it in the Games Makers over the Olympics and Paralympics and, through Join In, we’ve seen it across the country at grassroots football clubs, local swimming pools and community running tracks in the years since.

“It’s fantastic to be able to show just how valuable this contribution is with this new research. Sport volunteering is the single biggest sector of volunteering in the UK and Join In are leading the way, inspiring 100,000 volunteers a year. That’s 100,000 people investing their time, skills and energy in their community, changing their own lives and the lives of others. It’s vital this important work continues.”

Lord Gus O’Donnell, Chairman of Frontier Economics and former Cabinet Secretary:

“The economics of wellbeing is a vital, new discipline that can help us all truly value what is important in life. Volunteering and sport and their role in making us all happier and healthier are clearly an area of immense importance; one we must not take for granted. Today's work from Join In is an important and timely contribution, please read and support it in whatever way you can.”

Rob Wilson, Minister for Civil Society:

“Volunteering forms the backbone of hundreds of sporting organisations, from referees at Saturday morning football matches to helping our future Olympians realise their dreams. The Community Life Survey shows that the increase in volunteering seen in the year of the Olympics has been sustained. Join In is making it easier than ever to continue this appetite for volunteering across the UK through sporting opportunities.”

Director of Sport at Join In, David Moorcroft OBE:

“We’ve always known that volunteers are valuable but this research takes our understanding of how valuable to a different level.”

Jo Pavey, Athlete, European 10,000m Champion:

"Volunteers have played a huge part in my athletics career. From grass roots level through to elite competition, it wouldn't have been possible without help from volunteers. I'm excited to see that Join In has recognised the time and commitment that volunteers invest in sport and their communities."

Tim Foley, UK General Manager, Intersport:

“We are delighted to be partnering with Join In, a fantastic charity that embodies our ‘Sport to the People’ philosophy. Community sport thrives in the UK and Ireland and this is all thanks to the vast number of volunteers who give their time to help make this possible, we couldn’t think of a better partner to be working with.”

Sir Mike Rake, Chairman, BT plc:

“At BT we understand the huge potential of volunteering and passionately believe in its social impact. We have been actively promoting skills-based doing, not just charitable giving, at BT for a number of years and we know that it is sustainable and replicable- and can transform communities.”

Join In is a London 2012 legacy charity that puts more volunteers into community sport. For further information visit joininuk.org (http://www.joininuk.org)


*1Source:  Bank of England Chief Economist Andrew H Haldane’s speech on 9^th September “In giving how much do we receive”.