Give your volunteers the recognition they deserve

Each year over 650,000 adult volunteers in NSW dedicate their time to sport – acting in the capacity of coaches, officials, administrators and fundraising champions.

From a national perspective, these passionate individuals help promote physical activity leading to reduced health care costs of $1.49 billion per annum and improved labour productivity of 1% of GDP or $12 billion per year.

And now is the time to formally say “thank you” to your outstanding volunteers by nominating them for a Premier’s Volunteer Recognition Award.

“I urge our many member organisations to spread this message widely and to put forward the names of all those fabulous people supporting sport in their local community so they can receive the recognition they deserve,” Sport NSW Chief Executive Darren Simpson said.

Kellie May, Principal Project Officer for NSW Volunteering which oversees the awards program, said: “Nominating volunteers for a Premier’s Award celebrates their significant contribution to the organisation and the general community.

“Volunteers are the backbone of sport in NSW throughout the many clubs and associations. They are responsible for the successful delivery of a whole range of services, that wouldn’t happen otherwise.

“Together with the estimated 2.1 million volunteers across the state, sport volunteers help contribute an estimated value of $5 billion to the NSW economy.”

Nominated volunteers would join the 12,500 people already recognised across NSW under this program, now in its third year.

Volunteers can be nominated under one of the following award categories:

• people with over 25 years of volunteering experience
• people with a lifetime of volunteering experience – over 40 years
• significant volunteering at any age
• newly retired people who have commenced or continued volunteering.

Nominating is easy. Simply use the online form and submit it by 30 September 2017.

If you have a lot of names to submit or further inquiries, please contact NSW Volunteering at volunteering@facs.nsw.gov.au or on 8753 8543. They’re waiting to hear from you!