Sport relies on 1.5 million volunteer officials, coaches, administrators and managers. East Midlands Further Education colleges actively promote and take part in volunteering within their local community clubs, School Sports Partnerships and local competitions.
The Youth Sport Trust plays a major role in supporting the need for volunteer development via the Step
into Sport programme which grows and deploys young people as leaders and volunteers.
Many Colleges in the East Midlands access the programme, giving you the opportunity to become involved
in sports leadership and volunteering and encouraging you to continue this into later life.
About the Programme
There are three steps to the programme:
STEP ON (11 to 14 years)
During PE lessons students are introduced to sports leadership and volunteering. They learn how to plan and manage their own sports season.
STEP IN (14 to 16 years)
Young people are slightly older and therefore more confident in taking a lead. Through volunteering they learn the skills to manage and support school-based sporting events.
STEP OUT (16 to 19 years) Further Education Students
Young people learn how to move from school-based to community-based volunteering. The YST Leadership Academies (14-19) provide the opportunity to refine and develop volunteering skills and experiences.
Step into Sport Online Volunteer Passport
The Step into Sport Volunteer passport is the online portfolio for the Step IN and Step OUT elements of Step into Sport.
The system allows you to log and manage your volunteering online. Access to the site is via the Youth Sport Trust website at www.youthsporttrust.org
Leadership Academies
Leadership Academies provide localised support for young leaders within school sport partnerships.
Managed by the school sport partnership, a leadership academy may take on various forms but the outcomes remain the same:
• Provide mentoring support to young leaders on a group and individual basis.
• Signpost young leaders on to appropriate qualifications and awards.
• Provide the opportunity for young leaders to learn from their peers.
• Support young leaders to source appropriate placements and volunteering experiences.
Step into Sport Residential Camp
Every year a 4-day residential camp is held at Loughborough University for approximately 300 young people aged 16-19 years.
Young people are selected by their school sport partnership to attend the event which focuses on growing and deploying young leaders, by supporting them to learn more about themselves as people in understanding where their strengths and weaknesses lie.
Between 2008 and 2011, every school sport partnership will be invited to select two young people to attend one of the three camps- This could be you!
For more information about Step into Sport and how you can become involved through your college, please contact your FESCO
For more information about Step into Sport, please visit the Step into Sport section on the Youth Sport Trust Website. Click here http://www.youthsporttrust.org/page/step-into-sport/index.html
