The matter in summary: 63% of the population who have done voluntary work in the past year, according to recent Statistics Norway figures. This means that the proportion who want to be volunteers is back at the same level as before the pandemic. In Grane Football, they depend on parents signing up for children’s football. Recruiting for administrative tasks, such as board positions and treasurer, is more challenging than recruiting for activities related to the coaching role and specific events. Politicians and organizations are encouraged to make better arrangements for volunteers, including by reducing the amount of administrative work. The Red Cross feels that more people want to contribute voluntarily, especially during major events, but points out that this requires good planning. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – Go, go, go! Karl-Gunnar Ellefsen shouts to a group of young footballers at Norac Stadium in Arendal. He is chairman of Grane Football, and trains several of the teams together with a bunch of parents. These parent coaches are part of a growing number of statistics in Norway. Chairman of Grane Football, Karl-Gunnar Ellefsen. Photo: Leif Dalen / news Ellefsen believes that many people get a lot out of getting involved: – You get to see the children excel and experience the joy of sport. I think that is one of the most important things you get back, he says. – Essensielt Grane Fotball has around 40 volunteer parents who join and train. – Volunteers are absolutely essential, especially in children’s football. We mostly only have parent coaches there. Last week, the club was on the verge of withdrawing a team from a tournament, because they lacked coaches. – Fortunately, it worked out, but withdrawing a team is a great shame for children and young people. Back to normal In one of the many tents during Arendal week, recent Statistics Norway figures showing how many volunteers are involved in various organizations were presented. Secretary General of Volunteering Norway, Stian Slotterøy Johnsen. Photo: Leif Dalen / news The Secretary General of Volunteering Norway is in a great mood: – It is very gratifying to see that 63 per cent of the population has done voluntary work in the past year, says Stian Slotterøy Johnsen. These are the first official statistics on volunteering since 2017, so you don’t see the decline that occurred in connection with the pandemic. – You know from other surveys that the numbers went down during the pandemic, says Johnsen. According to the Volunteering Barometer, the proportion of volunteers was down to 55 per cent in 2021. Office work is not tempting Although the statistics now point upwards again for the total number of volunteers, that does not mean that it is necessarily easy to get new ones. Especially for administrative work: – Recruiting for board positions, being treasurer and so on, is difficult. That’s what Arne Bård Dalhaug, 1st vice-president of the Norwegian Sports Confederation, says. 1st vice-president of the Norwegian Sports Confederation, Arne Bård Dalhaug. Photo: Leif Dalen / news – It is easier with activities related to the role of coach, concrete events and hard work, if this is organized in advance, he says. Karl-Gunnar Ellefsen can confirm that: – Organizing a cup abroad is an example of something that requires a lot of work. Then you have to organize volunteer work, money and travel, which is very demanding. Needs facilitation Turid Kristensen is a Conservative politician in the Storting and sits on the Family and Culture Committee. She believes that something should be done to make better arrangements for the volunteers. – We politicians must put the framework conditions in place, so that the volunteers can be allowed to spend their time on what they want, she says. Storting representative and member of the Family and Culture Committee, Turid Kristensen (H). Photo: Leif Dalen / news Kristensen believes that the volunteers should avoid writing applications and other administration as much as possible. – If they get it organised, it’s much more fun to be a volunteer than if you have to sit and do a lot of paperwork. Many flock to the Red Cross, they feel that more people are making contact and want to contribute voluntarily. – During major events, many people flock and say that they want to be involved and make an effort. But then facilitation is required, says president of the Red Cross, Siri Hatlen. President of the Red Cross, Siri Hatlen. Photo: Leif Dalen / news She highlights some of what was pointed out in the report: – Give help with the administrative tasks, and good arrangements, and the volunteers will come and contribute. Have you participated in voluntary work in the last 12 months? Stian Slotterøy Johnsen believes that voluntary efforts in Norway will continue to remain high in the future: – There is something about society in Norway that is built up a lot around volunteering. It is a great tradition for us to stand up. But we must not take the volunteers for granted. Published 21.08.2024, at 16.04
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Two out of three are engaged in voluntary work – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
