Where grassroots sports volunteers go to grow

Volunteering is often spoken about as a selfless act – but sustaining a healthy sporting ecosystem depends just as much on supporting the people who give their time. Across grassroots clubs, mass participation events and community programmes, volunteers are increasingly asked to be organisers, administrators, fundraisers, safeguarding officers and leaders rolled into one.

The NCVO is the UK’s largest membership body for the voluntary sector, supporting more than 17,000 charities, community organisations and sports clubs. It offers governance guidance, funding advice, workforce support and policy advocacy – helping volunteering remain effective, ethical and sustainable. During its Small Charities Week (June 22-29 2026) NCVO provides free training, resources, and practical support to help charities successfully communicate their campaign.

Reach connects charities and community organisations with skilled volunteers who bring professional expertise in areas such as HR, finance, marketing and digital. It’s particularly valuable for clubs seeking trustees or specialist support, helping volunteers make a tangible, strategic impact. Since 2024 it’s provided £60 million worth of expertise helping 16,000+ volunteers looking to take part in projects, join teams and become trustees find the role they want.

Delivered through the Buddle platform – a combination of Buddy and Huddle, the service provides free, sport-specific resources to help volunteers run better clubs. From safeguarding and inclusion to finances and workforce development, it supports long-term sustainability and aligns with Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy. There’s also resources to help with mentoring support, club improvement plans and Clubmark accreditation.

Sported focuses on helping grassroots clubs survive and thrive by backing the volunteers behind the scenes. With 46% of its community groups located in the 30% most deprived areas of the UK and 52% of them led entirely by volunteers, Sported provide a crucial support package to help club survive and grow. It offers one-to-one mentoring from professional volunteers, practical resources and learning opportunities, with a strong emphasis on inclusivity, resilience and local community impact.

Supporting more than 60,000 regular volunteers worldwide, the parkrun Volunteer Hub provides guidance, role-specific resources and community forums. Parkrun began in 2004 with just 13 runners at Bushy Park in London. Today roughly 182,000 runners and walkers take part in 788 events in the UK alone, supported throughout by volunteers who help mark out and guide runners along courses, record times and make the events run smoothly.