ABSTRACT
The voluntary sport sector is fundamental to sport and sporting opportunities, playing a critical role in sport provision through a vast network of organisations that run from small, locally supported clubs, to the most commercial of all – the IOC. Clubs, considered the backbone of the voluntary sport sector, work hard to deliver opportunities at the local level, while their respective NFs are charged with overseeing this and promoting excellence in participation. Mega events such as world cups and the Olympic Games are ‘owned’ by organisations from the voluntary sporting sector, while the value of volunteer activity has been estimated at £14 billion in the UK alone. The importance of the voluntary sector underlines the need for good practice in the management of VSOs. By ensuring that VSOs are governed properly and then supported by best management practice will allow them to be most effective in their delivery of sport.
