Football Australia will honour the contributions of hundreds of thousands of passionate volunteers across the game during National Volunteer Week held from 15 – 21 May 2023.
Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteers, the week will see the celebration of the important role volunteers play in the football community and provide resources to empower over 2,400 clubs through the Game Changer program to better champion volunteers at the grassroots level.
In recognition of the need to deliver support to the strong volunteer community, Football Australia has committed to implementing the Sport Volunteer Coalition Action Plan led by the Australian Sports Commission.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson voiced the importance of delivering the Action Plan for the benefit of the game’s substantial volunteer base.
“Whether they are coaches, referees, administrators, team managers or keeping canteens running, volunteers are the lifeblood of Australian football and vital in creating and maintaining the inclusive and vibrant communities we all enjoy,” Johnson said.
“Volunteers are Change Makers in the best possible way as they bring people together and nurture the next generations of CommBank Matildas, Subway Socceroos, CommBank ParaMatildas and CommBank Pararoos.
“Our passionate and knowledgeable football volunteers make up a substantive portion of the sport’s 2 million participants. They freely provide their valuable time to ensure the growth of the game and foster the love and connection with football.
“We recognise that the past couple of years have been challenging for our volunteers and many of them have gone above and beyond. Through the Action Plan, Football Australia and its Member Federations are committed to ensuring the building of a fulfilling and positive experience in our clubs,” he concluded.
The four-year Action Plan was developed in 2022 to enable more Australians to volunteer in sports with the delivery focus across four strategic themes – Celebrate, Empower, Reimagine and Innovate.
Clubs will have access to the Sport Volunteer Coalition Action Plan resources by registering to Game Changer at www.footballaustralia.com.au/gamechanger.
MiniRoos and Football Australia digital and social channels will spotlight the work of seven of football’s volunteer Change Makers with stories outlining their valued contribution.
