Clubs, Coaches, Volunteers Newsletter May 2026
Volunteers' Week 2026
Why Do You Volunteer?
To help us mark Volunteers’ Week 2026 (1 – 7 June 2026), we’d love to hear directly from volunteers who help make sport and physical activity happen across Kent and Medway.
Your feedback will be used throughout Volunteers’ Week as part of our social media campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of volunteering, to celebrate volunteers for the incredible work they do, and to encourage more people to give volunteering a go.
Please take a couple of minutes to complete our short form and tell us why you volunteer. Thank you in advance for getting involved.
Follow this link to complete the short form
FREE Workshop: Maximising Your Volunteers’ Experience
In support of Volunteers’ Week 2026, Active Kent & Medway is hosting a FREE Buddle workshop: Maximising Your Volunteers’ Experience. Delivered by team members Stuart and Jimmy, this online workshop is designed to help clubs and community organisations take a fresh look at how they attract and value volunteers. The session will explore practical tools, new ways of thinking and simple actions to strengthen your volunteer offer.
- Wednesday 3 June 2026, 10:00 – 11:00, Online
UK Coaching Week 2026
UK Coaching Week 2026 is taking place 22 – 28 June 2026 and this year’s theme is Purposeful Play, showing how well-designed playful activities help adults and children alike learn, develop and thrive.
UK Coaching Week is for everyone who takes part in coaching. You could be a participant, parent, volunteer or supporter. Support the campaign by:
- Engaging with campaign content through likes, comments and shares
- Amplifying posts from coaches, clubs and organisations
- Celebrating the activities and coaches that make your coaching experiences positive and enjoyable
By sharing what you enjoy, you’ll help highlight the value of purposeful play and support coaches and organisations to create fun and meaningful coaching sessions for everyone.
Follow this link to get involved in UK Coaching Week #PlayItForward
Mental Health Support
Mental Health Support Framework
During Mental Health Awareness Week 2026, we launched our NEW Mental Health Support Framework for clubs and organisations across Kent and Medway. While being active and playing sport can have a positive impact on mental wellbeing, there are times when participants, volunteers or coaches may need extra support.
Our Mental Health Support Framework has been developed to help clubs build confidence, knowledge and practical skills to support mental wellbeing in the right way, at the right time. The framework is flexible and has three levels of support, recognising that every club is different. Whether you are just starting to think about mental health, or looking to strengthen the support you already offer, you can engage at a level that suits your club.
Follow this link to access the Mental Health Support Framework
Mind’s Safe and Effective Practice Guidance
Sport, physical activity and movement can play a powerful role in helping people with mental health problems to stay well. Mind’s guidance on safe and effective practice for those delivering physical activity and mental health programmes, has been co-developed with people with lived experience, coaches, front-line deliverers, healthcare professionals and over 150 organisations.
The guidance is helping to shape future physical activity delivery across different settings to support mental health outcomes. It ensures we keep participants and those delivering sessions safe throughout the process. Photo credit: Mind.
Release the pressure
Active Kent & Medway is proud to support the Release the pressure campaign delivered by Kent County Council and A Better Medway.
We invite local organisations, clubs and community groups across Kent and Medway to get behind this important and timely campaign. We’ve produced a campaign toolkit with editable posters, social media graphics and suggested posts for local clubs, national governing bodies of sport and other organisations to use in their own promotion of the campaign.
Funding Opportunities
Active Kent & Medway Small Grant
Small grants of up to £500 for local clubs and organisations looking to encourage and increase participation in physical activity for those living in Kent or Medway.
Funding could be available to cover facilitator or coaching costs, venue hire, equipment, marketing and publicity for projects such as new programmes, festivals, events, launches or celebrations of activity, that re-engage with previous audiences and/or encourages those new to activity to continue to be active.
“A simple application and fast to be approved. It’s made such a difference to the lives of the people within the group.”
Workforce Development Fund
Thinking about becoming an activity leader or yoga instructor for your local community group? Perhaps an assistant coach to support your club’s weekly sessions?
Our Workforce Development Fund can cover up to 50% of the costs (maximum £500) towards qualifications or awards that increase the quantity and quality of leaders, coaches, instructors and officials in Kent, and therefore assist the development of sport and physical activity in the county.
“The assistant coach qualification is a stepping stone to gaining my full coaching qualification. I have learnt new skills and drills on the course which has helped me develop.”
Training Opportunities
Neurodiversity in Sport Webinars
Join us online on Thursday 25 June 2026, to learn more about neurodiversity in sport settings. Delivered by London Sport these FREE online sessions are for coaches, club welfare officers, safeguarding leads, sport leaders, committee members and parents.
With an estimated 15–20% of the population identifying as neurodivergent, it’s vital we create sporting environments where everyone can feel safe, included and able to thrive. You will leave the session with simple, effective strategies to adapt your coaching, communication and environments to be more inclusive, whether you know someone is neurodivergent or not. Register for the lunchtime or evening session via the links below. Photo credit: London Sport.
Follow this link to book Thursday 25 June 2026, 12:00 – 13:30
Follow this link to book Thursday 25 June 2026, 18:30 – 20:00
Creative Curiosity In Practice Series
Our free online learning series is all about sharing techniques and understanding of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) in practice. Led by Alexia Tam, who is known for her creative, participatory methods to gather insight, the series explores how listening, reflection and lived experience can sit at the heart of good MEL.
This series is ideal for anyone new to MEL, or for those who want to explore more human, accessible ways of understanding what’s working, why it matters and how learning can shape what happens next.
Other News
Contact Us
We’d love to hear from you
If there’s anything in this newsletter you’d like to discuss, then just get in touch and one of our team members will get back to you as soon as possible. Please email: activekent@kent.gov.uk
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