VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT AUSTRIA

Transcription

1 VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT AUSTRIA 1 GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT Tradition and contextual background Definitions Number and profile of volunteers in sport Number and types of sport organisations engaging volunteers Main voluntary activities INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT Main public bodies and other organisations involved in volunteering in sport Policies Programmes REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT General legal framework Legal framework for individual volunteers in sport Legal framework for sport organisations engaging volunteers ECONOMIC DIMENSION OF VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT Public financing of volunteering in sport Other support schemes and benefits Private financing and support schemes Specific issues: state aid, public service and general interest Economic value of volunteering in sport SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIMENSION OF VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT Key benefits of volunteering for sport volunteers, the community and direct beneficiaries Factors that motivate individuals to volunteer in sport EU POLICIES AND VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT MAIN OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT Main challenges Main opportunities...15 SOURCES

2 1 GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT 1.1 Tradition and contextual background With some 474,400 sport volunteers in 2006, sport was the second largest field of voluntary activity in Austria after culture (as illustrated in figure 1) 1. Volunteering in sport has a long tradition that has developed over the past half of the century and was strongly influenced by the both the Conservative and Labour parties and the presence of the Catholic Church in Austria. Figure 1: Volunteers in the sector of sport as compared with other fields of voluntary work Name of the sector Total nr. of volunteers in thousands Nr. of volunteers in the sector in thousands Percentage of volunteers in the sector Formal volunteering Disaster relief and rescue % Arts, culture, entertainment % Environment and nature % Ecclesiastical or religious field % Social and health services % Political and advocacy work % Civic and community activities % Education % Sport and exercise % Informal volunteering % (Source: 2 Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich, pg 48). As a result of the long tradition of volunteering in sport, there is also a relatively strong infrastructure to support volunteering more generally in Austria. The Austrian Council on Volunteering was founded in 2003 and is a platform for political decision makers and representatives of organisations working with volunteers. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Consumer Protection (BMSK) manages the Council, which convenes at least once a year. Furthermore, volunteering centres have been established in the regions promoting, informing and advising potential volunteers on volunteering opportunities in the respective regions. 1.2 Definitions It is important to note from the offset that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Consumer Protection (BMSK) makes a distinction between formal and informal volunteering in Austria. Formal volunteering is defined as those activities undertaken within an organisation, an association or an institution. While informal volunteering (sometimes referred to as 1 BMSK. Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich, 2008, pg 20 2 Statistik Austria. Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich (Structure and Volume of Volunteer Work in Austria. Produced on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Consumer Protection (BMSK). Vienna, December Accessed on at: willigenarbeit_in_oesterreich.pdf 2

3 neighbourhood assistance) is undertaken by personal initiative, without any institutional framework. This report will focus exclusively on formal volunteering, which includes volunteering in sport. According to the BMSK latest report on volunteering in Austria 3, the Austrian Council on Volunteering defines formal volunteering as the practice of persons working on behalf of others inside an organisational framework, for free, with the purpose of promoting general interests, without a contractual obligation to provide the service and outside the context of vocational training. Voluntary participation in training measures that are required for the development of an organisation and implementation of its activities is also regarded as volunteering. There is no specific definition for volunteering in sport. 1.3 Number and profile of volunteers in sport According to the research commissioned by the BMSK, there were 474,400 Austrians volunteering in the field of sport in This represented 5.7% of the total population (8,265,925) that year 4. In % of all the volunteers in Austria (formal and informal volunteers 5 ) were volunteering in the field of sport 6. Trend The data available indicates a slight decrease in the number of volunteers in sport during the period A study organised by the Vienna University of Economics in 2000 estimated the total number of sport volunteers at 496,815 7, whereas a more recent BMSK report put this number at 474,400 in The same BMSK report also researched reasons for not volunteering. However these were not only relating to the sport, but to formal and informal volunteering in general: 68.6% respondents answered that they are already fully occupied with family tasks; 58.4% of respondents indicated that they have not been asked to volunteer; 45.5% said that they had not thought about it; and 45.1% said that they would not be able to unite volunteering with their professional obligations 8. 3 NPO-Institut, Bericht zum Freiwilligen Engagement in Österreich (Report on the Voluntary Engagement in Austria developed for the BMSK), 2009, pg Eurostat data 5 The Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich (2008) report distinguishes between "formal voluntary work" those activities undertaken within an organisation, an association or an institution and "informal volunteer work, often called "neighbourhood assistance ", undertaken by personal initiative, without any institutional framework. The field of sport falls under the formal voluntary work. 6 BMSK. Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich, 2008, pg 49 7 Badelt, Christoph and Hollerweger, Eva. Das Volumen Ehrenamtlicher Arbeit in Österreich, Wien, Februar Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Abteilung für Sozialpolitik. Accessed on 9 November 2009 at: 8 The percentages are not complementary or mutually exclusive. 3

4 Volume of voluntary work As illustrated in figure 1, the number of people volunteering in sports is the second most popular form of formal volunteering field after culture. Austrian volunteers in sport invested on average 3 hours per week in voluntary activities in This amounts to a total of 1,418,400 hours spent on volunteering in sport on average with a week. Figure 2 below presents an overview of the number of hours spent on voluntary activities in sport during a year. Most sport volunteers (32% or almost one third) spent 1-10 hours annually. 29% spent hours, 22% 31 to 60 hours, and around 18% 61 and more hours yearly. While among males the share of volunteers decreased gradually with increasing number of voluntary hours, the differences for women are more pronounced with 37% engaging in volunteering 1-10 hours yearly and only 10% more than 61 hours annually. If the time spent on volunteering in sports is examined by the employment status of the volunteer the biggest proportion of short term sports volunteers were among the unemployed (53%), students mostly spent hours on volunteering in sport and also a large proportion of students (29%) engage for more than 61 hour yearly in voluntary activities in the field of sport. Figure 2: Volunteers in sport: how many days in the last year? Formal volunteers 1 to to to and more (in thousands) in % Total by gender Men Women by employment status Employed or apprentice Unemployed Retired Only running a household Pupils and students (Source: Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich, pg 102) Age In 2006 most volunteers in the field of sport were between years old. As illustrated in figure 3, this is however only the second most active age group (with 18.9% involved), while the age group were slightly more active (with 19.3%) and year olds even more so (with 19.6%). Figure 3: Volunteers in sport by age group Age group Volunteers in thousands Nr. of volunteers in sport and exercise in thousands % of volunteers in sport and exercise years years years years years years years years > 80 years (Source: Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich, pg 49) 4

5 Gender In 2006, two thirds of all volunteers in the field of sport were men (72% or 341,200 compared to 28% or 133,200 women 9. As illustrated in figure 4 below, only 9% of women volunteers contribute to the field of sports, while men representing 22% of all volunteers. Figure 4: Formal volunteering sector: fields of sport and exercise by gender Gender Total nr. of volunteers in thousands Nr. of volunteers in the sector in thousands Av. percentage of volunteers in the sector Men % Women % Total % (Source: Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich, pg 48) Level of education As set out in figure 5, one third of all volunteers in sport (33.1%) have graduated with a vocational higher education course or college in Austria. This is followed by graduates from vocational education schools (23.8%) and vocational schools (17.1%). Figure 5: Volunteers in sport by education level Highest completed education Nr. of volunteers in thousands % of volunteers in sport and exercise Compulsory school Vocational school Vocational middle school General secondary school Vocational higher educaiton school Vocational higher education course, College Higher non-university education University, University of applied sciences (Source: Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich, pg 50.) Socio-professional status Figure 6 demonstrates that 74.2% of volunteers in the field of sport in 2006 were employed or an apprentice. This was followed by 11.5% pensioners and 7.5% pupils and students. Figure 6: Volunteers in sport by socio-professional status 9 Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich, pg 103 5

6 Total volunteers in sport and exercise in thousands Employed or apprentice 74.2 Unemployed 1.7 Retired 11.5 Only running a household 3.7 Pupils and studentts 7.5 People with permanent incapacity 0.2 Military and civil conscripts 0.7 On parental leave 0.3 On other means of subsistence 0.1 in % (Source: Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich, pg 57) 1.4 Number and types of sport organisations engaging volunteers The number and type of sport organisations involving volunteers or cooperating with volunteers is not systematically counted in Austria. The data of the Central association register 10 (see figure 7 below) provides an approximate indication on the number and types of organisations that could involve volunteers, including sports associations. However, the register does not include information on the number of association members or volunteers involved. Furthermore, the register does not include all non-profit organisations (NPOs) those that are registered in another status then associations and those groupings without a formal status are not registered. 11 Figure 7: Number and types of registered associations in Austria 10 Vereinsregister 11 Bericht zum Freiwilligen Engagement in Österreich,

7 Sports associations Savings clubs Charity associations 6649 Profession associations 5841 Gardening and animal elevation associations 5425 Conviviality associations 5655 Parents associations 4024 Associations of formal military staff 1958 Student associations 1322 Religious associations 1123 Colleague associations 418 Rotary clubs, Lions Club, Schlaraffia 414 Others Total (Source: Statistik Austria 2004) As figure 7 illustrates the largest number of associations in 2004 were registered in the sport sector, followed by other sectors and savings clubs. However, a clear classification of what these organisations represent has been difficult to determine. This has led to a situation in which many associations fell into the category of others. The Austrian Sports Confederation is the central coordination and cooperation platform for sports organisations in Austria and has the following members: Austrian Olympic Committee Austrian Sports Confederation for the Disabled Three umbrella organisations ASKÖ 12, ASVÖ 13 and Sportunion 59 sport federations The Austrian Sports Confederation also has 22 associate members. There are some 3.4 million sport club members in Austria of which volunteers form the basis of more than 12,300 sport clubs in Austria. The clubs and their members highly depend on volunteers in various fields (see figure 8 below for the main volunteer activities). Most of the sport clubs, federations and umbrellas are NPOs and are set up according to the Austrian Law on Associations of 2002 (Vereinsgesetz). 14 Share of volunteers and paid staff in the sport sector There is no recent data available on the share of paid workers and volunteers in sports organisations. A study 15 published in 1999 estimated that only 40% of employees in associations worked full-time. The study also found that volunteers constitute 86% of 12 Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Sport und Körperkultur in Österreich 13 Allgemeiner Sportverband Österreichs 14 From the interview with a representative of the BMLVS, August Weiß et al. Sport Entwicklungen und Trends im österreichischen Sport. Wien: Institut für Sportwissenschaften, 1999, pg 54 7

8 employees in sports clubs, while only 14% were regular employees. 16 suggests sport clubs rely heavily on the contribution of volunteers. The evidence Changing societal factors have lead to the increased professionalisation of sport clubs. On the one hand sport club members ask for better services, on the other the contextual environment of sport clubs with regards to legal and economical issues is changing. Thus, the management of a sport club demands more and more specific skills from paid staff and volunteers in order to meet these challenges. Educational programmes for volunteers have been designed to equip volunteers with the necessary skills and expertise to respond adequately to this new environment Main voluntary activities Level of volunteering in different sport segments There is no data available in relation to the level of volunteering in different sport segments. It is estimated that the majority of volunteers are active in sport NPOs and to a lesser degree in professional sport and in commercial and leisure sport. 18 For example, a study undertaken on the subject of football in Austria underlined the importance of volunteering at amateur level. 98.2% of volunteers were found to be active on this level, whilst only 1.8% of volunteers are active in professional clubs. 19 Level of volunteering in different sport disciplines There is limited data available on volunteering in sport by discipline. According to a market research 20 undertaken in 2007, the most popular sport disciplines in Austria were: Cycling, Skiing, Running, Swimming, Hiking, Nordic walking, and Ball sports. Though there is no evidence to suggest the number of volunteers is most popular in relation to these disciplines, it is likely volunteers are most active in at least some of these main sport disciplines. 16 Bericht zum Freiwilligen Engagement in Österreich (Report on the Voluntary Engagement in Austria developed by NPO-Institut for BMSK) Wien, Juni 2009 Accessed on at: df 17 From the interview with a representative of the BMLVS, August From the interview with a representative of the BMLVS, August Felderer et al. Fußball in Österreich, Studie im Auftrag des Österreichischen Fußball-Bundes, Wien, MAKAM Market Research, Sportliches Österreich

9 Type of activities carried out by volunteers The type of activities volunteers can be involved in varies widely from electricians and accountants to tea-making and bus drivers together with sport-specific roles such as officials and coaches 21. The 2006 study of volunteering provides another, less detailed, overview of the main types of volunteer activities in sport. These are presented in figure 8 and are shown in comparison with volunteer activities in other formal volunteering fields. Figure 8 also shows that volunteers in sport were mostly involved with core tasks (36%) 22, administrative tasks (31%). 17% of volunteers were involved in other tasks and 16% occupied leading roles. Figure 8: Types of volunteer activities in various fields, including sport Sector Formal volunteers in thousands Core tasks in % Administrative tasks in % Leading function in % Other tasks in % Disaster relief and rescue Arts, culture, entertainment Environment and nature Ecclesiastical or religious field Social and health services Political and advocacy work Civic and community activities Education Sport and exercise (Source: Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich) In terms of gender differences, figure 9 demonstrates illustrates the tasks undertaken by volunteers and shows that more men than women are engaged in core tasks (38% compared to 32%) and in leading functions as volunteers (19% compared to 8%). Interestingly, more female than male volunteers are involved in administrative issues (39% compared to 28%) and undertaken other tasks (21% compared to 15%). Figure 9: Types of volunteer tasks in sport by gender Gender Formal volunteers in thousands Core tasks in % Administrative tasks in % Leading function in % Other tasks in % Men Women Source: Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich, pg 101 There is limited data with regard to the education levels and types of activities volunteers undertake in sport organisations. Research undertaken by the BMSK 23 suggests a link between the employment status of a person in paid work, their level of education and the type of activity ("leading" versus "technical" 24 ) while volunteering. According to this research, 18% of those who are employed occupy a managerial role while volunteering. In contrast, almost 40% of executives and 42% of those who are self- 21 From the interview with a representative of the BMLVS, August The report explains core activities of the organisation for example active missions and administrative/supporting tasks as for example office tasks, gathering expenses, etc. Leading functions and other tasks are not operationalised. 23 Bericht zum Freiwilligen Engagement in Österreich, leitend versus ausführend 9

10 employed were involved in leading functions. Similarly, only 11% of people with the lowest education degree undertook a leading role as volunteers, while 37% of those with a university degree occupied leading functions. Based on the research findings it would seem the Austrian voluntary scene appears to mirror the existing hierarchy in employment. 2 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT 2.1 Main public bodies and other organisations involved in volunteering in sport 2.2 Policies The Austrian Council for Voluntary Work 25, established in 2003, is the main coordinating and consultative body aiming at removing barriers for volunteering in the country. The Council is managed by the BMSK and consists of 55 members from governmental and nongovernmental bodies. The Council develops recommendations for initiatives promoting the involvement of people of all age groups in volunteering. The Council convenes at least once a year. As mentioned earlier, the Council also serves as a platform for discussions and dialogue between political decision makers and representatives of organisations dealing with voluntary work. The objectives of the Council are as follows: Drafting recommendations that promote voluntary work and the interests of volunteers; Drafting proposals for the development of the framework for voluntary work; Drafting proposals for improved networking among voluntary organisations and among projects involving or dealing with voluntary work; Promoting cooperation and priorities setting for the report on volunteering that is submitted once during a legislative period to the Parliament; and Developing positions on legislative and regulatory proposals, which impact the interests of voluntary organisations and volunteers. It should be noted that there is no specific body set up to oversee volunteering in sport. Following an initiative of the Council, an online platform has been created to network Austrian voluntary organisations and volunteers. Ten volunteering centres have been established in the regions promoting, informing and advising potential volunteers on volunteering opportunities in their respective localities. There are no specific policies in place to support and promote volunteering in sport. 2.3 Programmes There are some specific programmes in place to support and promote volunteering. The Austrian Sports Confederation regard volunteering as an integral feature of sport clubs and therefore promotes and supports volunteering not only by advocating specific interests dealing with volunteering but also by offering educational programmes to sport volunteers 25 Österreichischer Rat für Freiwilligenarbeit 10

11 such as the Austrian Sports Confederation sport management course. This educational programme qualifies sport leaders in various, pertinent fields to manage a sport club successfully. In close collaboration with the state the Austrian Sports Confederation offers up to five Special workshops and courses for coaches every year. These courses are free of charge for all participants. Furthermore, coaches also benefit also from specific educational programmes offered by the Austrian Sports Confederation. Both training projects are financed by the Austrian Sports Confederation and government funds 26. In order to promote the benefits of volunteering special award ceremonies of sport organisations as well as public authorities are organised to reward sport volunteers. 27 Serving health and sport: Motivation and support of a healthy lifestyle is one of the six award categories allocated to volunteers since 2001 as part of the Volunteers of the Year initiative REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT 3.1 General legal framework With regard to legislative measures supporting volunteering in sport, the Austrian Council for Voluntary Work has initiated discussions to regulate certain aspects of volunteering. However at the moment there is no specific legal framework applying to volunteers in sports. There are presently no indicators, measures, targets or reporting arrangements institutionalised for volunteering in sport. BMSK has identified the following proposals for measuring volunteering in general. These include; Collecting relevant data on volunteering on a regular basis after having defined common standards and a research design at the EU level by national statistical offices; and Collecting economical data on volunteering to underline the added-value of voluntary work for national wealth. Based on the data collected, adequate measures and targets could be identified to better promote volunteering in sport Czech Presidency s Survey on Volunteering in Sport, 2009, accessed on 9 November 2009 at: 27 From the interview with a representative of the BMLVS, August From the interview with a representative of the BMLVS, August

12 3.2 Legal framework for individual volunteers in sport There are no specific legal provisions for volunteering in sport. In general, regulation adopted in 2009 allows the payment of a tax free lump sum of 540 per month as a support allowance to athletes and coaches. This regulation will also partly apply to volunteers. 3.3 Legal framework for sport organisations engaging volunteers There are no specific legal provisions for voluntary organisations in the field of sport. 4 ECONOMIC DIMENSION OF VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT 4.1 Public financing of volunteering in sport The Austrian Gambling Act stipulates that 3% of the turnover of the Austrian Lotteries is allocated to sport funding. This support from lotteries amounted to 61.2 million in 2007 and 71.3 million in The public funding for sport has been increasing at relatively high rates in recent years due to the growth in business and turnover of the Austrian Lotteries. The state through the Federal Ministry for Public Service and Sport (BMLVS) allocated 16.3 million Euros to sport in The legal base for this funding is provided by the Federal Sports Promotion Act. 4.2 Other support schemes and benefits Regional and local authorities also finance sport; however the level of regional and local subsidies and private donations cannot be quantified due to lack of available data. 4.3 Private financing and support schemes There is no information available in relation to private financing and support schemes. 4.4 Specific issues: state aid, public service and general interest There is no detailed data available on any specific tax exemptions or reduced tax rates for volunteers in sport. 4.5 Economic value of volunteering in sport No up-to-date information exists on the share of volunteers contribution in the sport sector in relation to the country s total paid workforce in terms of full-time equivalents (FTEs). It was estimated that volunteers spent 1,465,605 hours per week working in the field of sport in This statistical projection corresponds to 42,340 FTEs. By comparison, during the first quarter of 2009, 4,021,700 persons were employed which corresponds to 3,028,000 FTEs 31. Therefore, the work undertaken by sport volunteers in 2001, expressed in FTEs, corresponds to 1.4% of the general Austrian workforce in With regard to the importance of volunteering for the functioning of the sport sector it is evident from the evidence unlined earlier (Section 1.4) that the sport system would not be able to function as it does presently without the input from volunteers. The research findings suggest that volunteers perform tasks and services that public authorities would not be able to finance. 30 Das Volumen Ehrenamtlicher Arbeit in Österreich, Statistik Austria 12

13 5 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIMENSION OF VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT 5.1 Key benefits of volunteering for sport volunteers, the community and direct beneficiaries The social and cultural dimensions of volunteering in sport have not been carried out in detail in Austria. Volunteers The research evidence suggests however that the key benefits for an individual that engages in voluntary include: Acquiring specific skills, such as organisational, social and leadership skills; Widening and improving personal social networks; Increasing employment opportunities; Becoming an active and aware citizen; and others. Friendship by sharing same interests; Teamwork and team play by doing sport together; Intercultural understanding by interacting with different people; Enhancing solidarity. 32 Direct beneficiaries The benefits of volunteering to direct beneficiaries could be as follows: Workforce, skills and services offered by volunteers; Particular club infrastructure provided by volunteers; Entertainment; Coaching; etc. Wider society The impact and benefits of volunteering for a wider society are manifold and extensive. The research suggests volunteering in sport encourages: Learning sport discipline(s); Learning social skills (sport as school for life); Learning other informal learning opportunities; Improving social cohesion; 32 From the interview with a representative of the BMLVS, August

14 Improving the social infrastructure; Improving social networks; Enhancing health; Providing entertainment; Providing care for young people or old people; and Assisting in the organisation of sporting events; 5.2 Factors that motivate individuals to volunteer in sport There is no information available in relation to the factors that motivate individuals to volunteer in sport. 6 EU POLICIES AND VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT The 2001 International Year of Volunteering prompted the setting up of the Austrian Council for Voluntary Work in 2003 and started the practice of yearly national volunteer awards. EU VAT legislation impacting on sport In June 2008, the Commission formally notified Austria that it considered its implementation of the exemption under the VAT Directive concerning the supplies of certain services closely linked to sport or physical education by non-profit-making organisations to persons taking part in sport or physical education as too wide, since it was valid without restrictions for all transactions by associations of public interest whose aim was to exercise or to promote sports. In October 2009 the Commission formally requested Austria to change their legislation, as part of a formal infringement procedure. 7 MAIN OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT 7.1 Main challenges Volunteering faces a number of challenges in Austria. These are also pertinent in the field of sport. Decreasing number of volunteers Due to competing time constraints that people now have, the number of volunteers and hours available to spend on volunteering is decreasing. Time, appeal and incentives for volunteering should therefore to be created. Information on volunteering There is a distinct lack of information in relation to volunteering in sport. 14

15 Recruitment of volunteers It is vital to recruit volunteers as well as motivate and train them in order to safeguard and develop the quality of services of sport organisations. Covering costs Volunteers do not expect to be paid for volunteering, but costs incurred due to volunteering should be covered. Need for training volunteers As the complexity of society increases, educational programmes are needed at all levels to equip volunteers with adequate tools for their tasks. Recognising volunteers Volunteering should be fun to do, but also seen as worthwhile. Volunteers should be rewarded for a job well done. Facilities Volunteers are more likely to offer their services if they feel comfortable in modern facilities and they have all they need for their position. Promotion of volunteering The modern world has so many demands on people s time, volunteering must be promoted to be fun and appeal to a new generation of people. Bureaucracy cutting red tape Sports clubs run by volunteers add value to the society, paperwork should be minimised for those who help and the specific nature of sport considered in legislation. 7.2 Main opportunities One of the main opportunities for volunteering is the need to promote the value of volunteering both for individuals and for society. Public authorities should therefore create an encouraging legal and financial environment to support and facilitate volunteering. At national level the following opportunities have been identified: Infrastructure Enhance the infrastructure for volunteering to enable volunteer centres to improve the availability of volunteering opportunities, information and guidance for potential volunteers. Incentives for volunteering Opportunities for potential volunteers could be created by providing incentives to employers by providing tax benefits to companies that promote work time reconciliation with volunteering. Recognition 15

16 As mentioned above, an important opportunity for volunteering is the need to promote the benefits and values of volunteering. Here, media campaigns and awards could be organised to promote the image and increase the appeal of volunteering. Society and tradition It is noted that a culture for volunteering could be developed by starting encouraging the notion of volunteering from primary education onwards. Funding opportunities Improve the provision of funding opportunities to local authorities and sports clubs could develop a yet stronger volunteering tradition, also in sports. Good practice A further key opportunity for volunteering in sport is the need to share and promote good practice from national practice and from practice across all Member States. 16

17 SOURCES Badelt, Christoph and Hollerweger, Eva, Das Volumen Ehrenamtlicher Arbeit in Österreich, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Abteilung für Sozialpolitik, Czech Presidency s Survey on Volunteering in Sport, 2009, accessed on 9 November 2009 at: Felderer et al. Fußball in Österreich, (a study commissioned by the Austrian Football Federation), NPO-Institut, Bericht zum Freiwilligen Engagement in Österreich (Report on the Voluntary Engagement in Austria developed for the BMSK), Statistik Austria, Struktur und Volumen der Freiwilligenarbeit in Österreich (Structure and Volume of Volunteer Work in Austria, produced on behalf of the BMSK), Weiß et al., Sport Entwicklungen und Trends im österreichischen Sport, Institut für Sportwissenschaften, Interview Department for Sport Matters, Federal Ministry for Public Service and Sport (Bundesministerium fuer Landesverteidigung und Sport - BMLVS) 17