Attwooll MEP - Scottish Volunteers Such Good Sports

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 9th May 2008

Elspeth Attwooll has urged fellow politicians not to overlook the crucial role played by volunteers in sporting activities and organisations all over Scotland. This comes as a White Paper on Sport was given overwhelming backing by the European Parliament. And while the Paper itself considers all aspects of sport and its role in society, most of the debate has focused on its implications for professional players and teams.

The Liberal Democrat MEP said,

"We mustn't overlook what the White Paper says about sport as a public good, how it has positive effects on our health, and how it contributes to the overall economic and social cohesion of our communities.

By and large sports clubs are held together by volunteers. A survey in 2006 by Volunteer Development Scotland estimated that 84,000 of Scotland's 90,000 sports coaches were volunteers. It's important that we don't lose sight of this.

Volunteers and voluntary organisations must be given the recognition, support and funding that they deserve - from all levels of government. The campaign to make 2011 the official European Year of Volunteering highlights the fact that the EU-level perhaps doesn't do this as well as it should at the present time".

ENDS

Notes:

1. The White Paper received 518 votes for, 49 against, with 9 abstentions

2. It is available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/FindByProcnum.do?lang=2&procnum=INI/2007/2261

3. The Volunteer Development Scotland website: http://www.vds.org.uk/

4. And for more on the campaign to make 2011 the European Year of Volunteering, go to: http://elspethattwooll.org.uk/news/000247/make_2011_the_european_year_of_the_volunteer__attwooll_mep.html