**Due to an overwhelming reception from the sporting industry, the allocation of the Thanks Rewards has been exhausted. Thank you to all that applied for the reward, successful applicants will receive their rewards in the post in the coming weeks.

See below related links for other means in recognising your coaches and officials. **

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is encouraging sport clubs to recognise their volunteers and say thank you during National Volunteer Week from 10-16 May and is providing clubs the opportunity to apply for a free recognition reward.

‘Volunteering is the backbone of Australian sport, and this week we should be recognising the outstanding efforts of all volunteers within the sport sector,’ CEO of the Australian Sports Commission Matt Miller said.

The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘Volunteering: Now, more than ever’. It is the largest celebration of volunteerism in Australia, and is an opportunity for us to say thank you to the more than 1.7 million people who volunteer their time as coaches, officials, and administrators.

To support National Volunteers Week, the ASC is providing clubs the opportunity to apply for a free Thanks Reward – a memory stick and whistle – which can be used to thank and recognise a coach and/or official in their club.

The Thanks Rewards will be sent to a selection of sporting clubs across Australia who best describes why and how they recognise the coaches and officials in their club.

Applications close COB Friday 14th June (unless reward allocation is exhausted). To have a chance of receiving the Thanks Rewards, please complete the 2010 Thanks reward application in related links below.

Other ways to thank volunteers include ‘Thanks’ certificates and e-cards available at the links below, or a simple ‘thank you’.

The Australian Government’s new vision for sport: Australian Sport the pathways to success has outlined the establishment of National Sport Volunteers Plan to effectively ‘engage, support, train and recognise our volunteers in sport.’

National Volunteers Week also recognised some of the work being done at the national level in the Volunteer Policy Advisory Group, of which ASC CEO Matt Miller is a member. This includes attracting, training and retaining volunteers to sport through education, accreditation and recognition.

For more information on recruiting, retaining and recognising volunteers, visit the ASC Volunteers website (see related links).