Sport in Torbay depends on volunteers, funding and grassroots support

Welcome to a new sports column with a difference!

Each week, the Torbay Weekly comprehensively covers the local sporting scene.  To complement this, I will be talking about some of the key issues at a national or even international level and the opportunities and impact they might create locally. 

For example, there are currently major consultations around the regulation of coaches, saving playing fields, falling numbers of volunteers, insurance cover, how to increase participation, declining sports funding, safeguarding and more, all of which, for better or worse are potentially going to impact sport in Torbay.

What qualifies me to pen some thoughts in this area?  After 20 years in International marketing and advertising, I was appointed as Chief Executive Officer for a Sporting National Governing Body (NGB) almost 18 months ago. 

All recognised NGBs sit under Sport England which in turn is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It’s a massive privilege personally, to receive the regular updates, attend the CEO forums, government meetings and to have a seat at the heart of the UK sports world. I hope in this column to share some of the key themes. 

My own role is with Snowsport England. The Olympics are the end of a four-year cycle, an unbelievably exciting time with some real medal opportunities. For those who think we have no chance, we have won five World Cup Golds this season (so far!) and have the strongest and deepest squad GB has possibly ever assembled and an exceptional generation coming through (google the Carrick-Smiths or Molly Buttler for proof!). 

From freestyle to Nordic and Men’s slalom, we are competing. In Men’s slalom, keep an eye out for the Head Coach, Jai Geyer from Brixham and Torquay Alpine Ski Club who has had an extraordinary impact on the squad over several years.

We are immensely grateful for the funding which comes from UK Sport and the National Lottery and this takes us a long way. However, perhaps understandably, it doesn’t match the European countries who fund their Alpine sport programs to the tune of tens of millions each let alone our North American friends.

At the Elite and semi elite level, the stories of support teams sleeping in cars in the Alps to save on expenses, using hand me downs from other better funded teams, of parents remortgaging their homes to keep their kids’ dreams alive are all well told.

All NGB’s are looking to raise more funding but perhaps the biggest scarcity is time.  Every athlete, from beginner to current or future Olympian regardless of sport doesn’t get there alone.

Between 2015 and 2025, the Sport and Recreation Alliance measured that the number of registered volunteers in sport fell 30% from 50,000 to 35,000. This is potentially catastrophic if the trend continues as grassroots sport relies on the unsung hero and clubs rely on members stepping forward. 

Whether that’s sorting the risk register, insurance, grounds work, maintenance, opening and locking up, catering, cleaning, kit, team management, training, socials, fundraising and so on.

The main drivers behind this decline were Covid when people naturally stepped away from clubs and regrettably didn’t return, increasing concerns around the risk for volunteers if something goes wrong, retirement of older and poor recruitment of younger volunteers and perhaps a cultural shift. 

So how do we turn this around? For NGBs, many of us are working to make it easier to run a club. As an example, for Snowsport England this includes reducing affiliation fees for clubs, creating income raising opportunities and overhauling our safeguarding and disciplinary processes, an area where historically a club might be fearful around taking actions in case they got it wrong and were sued or similar.

For clubs, whether you need volunteers today or in the future, there’s a wealth of guidance online about how to recruit and retain volunteers. You could also do a lot worse than trying the ‘ruthless’ approach of my own exceptional club Chair at Torquay Alpine Ski Club who has combined three words into a direct phrase with devastating impact: ‘can you help'.

For individuals if you have a few hours of time then volunteering at your local Torbay club is a great way to get closer to a sport or activity you might have thought was in the past, to meet new friends or connect again with those from the past. For those at the start of your career, having led large graduate recruitment programs, I can guarantee that a CV which includes time as a volunteer within a club will make you a far stronger candidate.

As we all sit back to watch the coverage, win or lose let’s raise a glass to the athletes who have sacrificed and achieved so much to get to the Olympics. Perhaps a second sip for the coaches and volunteers who guided each and every one of them from the start of their journey to Milan-Cortina and then take a moment: could you play even the smallest of roles in inspiring the next generation in your own sport? Meanwhile fingers crossed….

James Arnold
CEO Snowsport England
Torquay Alpine Snowsports Club Secretary