Sport Minister recognises the value of volunteers

Federal Minister for Health and Sport Peter Dutton acknowledged yesterday's International Volunteer Day (5th December) by urging the community to celebrate the invaluable contribution that Australian volunteers make to the nation.

In one of his first statements since being appointed Sport Minister, Minister Dutton stated "I know Australians will join me in applauding the selfless and dedicated support that millions of Australian volunteers give to their community and, in particular, in the areas of health and sport.

"In health, volunteers support the health and wellbeing of their fellow Australians each and every day.

"In our hospitals, aged care and a range of community health services, volunteers ensure that the most vulnerable, including people with disabilities and those living with mental health issues, get a quality of life they might not otherwise get.

"The contribution of volunteers to sport is similarly invaluable. It's a fact that sport in this country, particularly grassroots sport, simply would not exist without the tireless commitment of volunteers."

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that sport in Australia is supported by around 2.3 million volunteers who donate their time to sporting clubs and competitions around the country. Their input has been estimated by some studies to be worth $4 billion a year.

Sport and physical recreation organisations attracted the largest number of volunteers with 14% of the adult population volunteering in the sector.

Minister Dutton added "sport benefits significantly from the input of volunteers, with sporting organisations relying heavily on volunteers to provide services for their members.

"Without this contribution, many sport organisations or individual clubs could not continue to function."

"Sport in this country has been built on the commitment of our volunteers and I thank them for their contributions to our sporting reputation.

"Volunteers across the board give their precious time to others, asking nothing in return. We applaud them."

10th May 2011 - MINISTER PAYS TRIBUTE TO SPORTING VOLUNTEERS

4th March 2011 - VOLUNTEERS THE BACKBONE OF WA SPORT

28th June 2010 - RESEARCH LIFTS LID ON MANAGERS OF VOLUNTEERS

30th October 2009 - SPORT EMPLOYS 110,000: SUPPORTED BY 1.7 MILLION VOLUNTEERS