As Pride Month 2020 draws to a close, our friends at Pride Sports help us shine a light on Out For Sport, the umbrella organisation linking more than 50 LGBT+ sports groups across London and the South East.
For 21 years, its members have been providing valuable support to each other in order to increase LGBT+ sport participation in and around the capital.
The group offers training sessions on areas such as marketing, governance and diversity and hosts annual events to help clubs get fit for the future, connect with new members and raise their profile.
They also coordinate campaigns targeting specific groups, like their successful ‘Out and Active’ initiative aimed at older LGBT+ people.
Most importantly, they’re a forum for clubs to share their experience and knowledge - so that those who've been going for over 25 years and have hundreds of members, can help the ones which started last year with just a handful.
Nearly all of the members who make up Out For Sport are grassroots LGBT+ sports clubs. They were set-up by volunteers and they're run by volunteers.
Those volunteers are coaches, umpires, fundraisers and organisers who make sure clubs have pitches and courts to play on, insurance to keep them safe and kit to celebrate and enhance their identity.
Without people willing to give up their time and expertise, those clubs simply wouldn't exist, and neither would the sporting opportunities they provide.
Volunteers will take on even greater importance in the weeks and months ahead as sports and activities look to return safely as and when COVID-19 restrictions are eased.
If you’re someone who is keen to get involved in sports volunteering, Out for Sport’s website is a fantastic place to start. You’ll find links to clubs in a wide range of sports, with thousands of members who are all keen for volunteers.
Alternatively, if you live outside London, check out Pride Sports’ national directory of LGBT+ sports clubs.
You can also use our free Volunteer Opportunity Finder which will allow you to search more than 1500 roles by interest, activity or location and find one perfect for you.
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The Government recently announced new plans that aim to more than double the share of primetime slots dedicated to women’s and girls’ sports teams at Government-funded facilities across England, following the success of the Lionesses in Switzerland.
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Joining the Sport and Recreation Alliance is pretty simple, but worthwhile!
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