Volunteers make the physical activity, social connection and lifelong fun of sport and recreation possible.
SERVE Sport & Rec: Supporting and Enhancing Rewarding Volunteer Experiences in Sport and Recreation is a research and innovation project that seeks to address the shortage of volunteers in the sector. This crisis of volunteerism continues to affect the recreation and sports sectors that are essential to a good quality of life in our communities.
Through this project we hope to better understand the unique needs, challenges and strengths of volunteers today. Together with sport and recreation volunteers, organizations, policymakers, and researchers, we’ll build on our understanding to design and test new ways of shaping the volunteer experience that will better support and engage volunteers well into the future.
SERVE Sport & Rec is a project of the Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health at Saint Mary's University, in collaboration with the University of New Brunswick and All In Research and Innovation.
On these pages
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A rich picture of volunteerism in sport and recreation, including some key challenges volunteers face.
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Read the context paper reviewing literature on sport and recreation volunteerism in Canada, produced by The Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health.
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Share your experience as a volunteer for sport and recreation activities in New Brunswick and help build collective understanding of how volunteer experiences can be improved.
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Reach out to us for more information or to participate in the research or prototype phases of the project.
Project People
Project Co-Leads
Molly Balcom Raleigh & Madeleine Whalen
Project Partners
The SERVE Sport & Rec project is made possible through participation from recreation and sport organizations in New Brunwick, Canada, including community sport organizations, municipal recreation departments, sport and recreation advocacy and promotion agencies, and most importantly the individual volunteers and participants who contribute their time and perspectives to make volunteering more sustainable and satisfying for all involved.