Volunteering in the Republic of Croatia is regulated by the Law on Volunteering (Zakon o volonterstvu Official Gazette 58/07, 22/13, 84/21), which defines basic terms related to volunteering, basic principles of volunteering, values of volunteering, conditions of volunteering, rights and duties of volunteers and volunteer organizers, conditions, conclusion of contracts on volunteering, adoption of the Code of Ethics on volunteering, issuance of a certificate on volunteering, issuance of a certificate on competencies acquired through volunteering, state award for volunteering, and supervision of the execution of this Act. The competent Ministry ensures the implementation of the Law on Volunteering and other regulations arising from it, monitors the situation in the field of volunteering and suggests taking appropriate measures, collects data on volunteering and volunteers on the basis of annual reports of volunteering organizers.
In Croatia, a total of 204 respondents participated in the project research, and the questionnaire was distributed through social networks, websites, mailing lists and through the mediation of the CES, Croatian volunteer centers and numerous associations from the Republic of Croatia. Here are some main findings from the research.
Young people are generally not familiar with the concept of volunteering in sports and have no experience in volunteering, although they believe that sports have a socialization component in society. They are also not familiar with the opportunities offered to them in sports clubs in their area, and they believe that sports clubs should promote volunteer opportunities more through social networks.
From the clubs’ perspective, very few clubs involve volunteers in their work. Primarily because until now they have not had a need for a larger number of volunteers, they do not have a defined program of work with volunteers and they do not have a person trained to manage volunteers. When they find themselves in a situation where they need volunteers, it is very difficult to find them, and they mostly choose them through recommendations.
Both respondents and representatives of the clubs that participated in both surveys believe that many skills are acquired through volunteering, especially teamwork, and that volunteering is very useful for personal development.
Special emphasis is placed on the role of the community, which should highlight the importance of volunteering and encourage volunteering.
It is recommended to inform young people more often about volunteering by organizing open days, round tables or tribunes in schools. Promotional activities through social networks, examples of good practice and experiences of volunteers. Involvement of young people in volunteering through projects, which will provide them with a new level of experience that will be useful to them in the development of the craft. Raising awareness about the contribution and importance of volunteerism at the local level.
In the case of sports clubs, it is recommended:
- to educate club members on ways to manage and motivate volunteers,
- to educate club members how to find and retain volunteers.
- to work on creating a work program with volunteers.
- to work on maintaining continuous contact with volunteers and involvement in regular activities to create a sense of trust.
At the state level, a volunteer evaluation system should be launched so that young people have additional motivation, as their volunteer work should be recognized during employment and should create a positive image of a young person involved in the engagement of the local community.
It is also important to note that no detailed analysis of volunteering in sports has been carried out so far, so this Report will serve as a good basis for further development of volunteering in sports.
You can read our full report from the reserch in the previolus posts.