There needs to be adequate investment in the voluntary sector for a sport coaching scheme to be truly successful, it has been claimed.

According to Volunteering England (VE) and the Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM), the government initiative will see £5 million be invested into getting more communities involved with sports and developing athletic talent.

In addition, some 10,000 new sports coaches are to be recruited.

However, the two bodies have suggested that effective investment in the third sector is key to the programme’s success - news which may be of interest to people seeking work within the voluntary sector and those looking to make use of regional recruitment portals to attract such applicants.

Laura Ferguson, strategic development manager for volunteering in sport at VE, said: "While we commend government’s enthusiasm for recruiting more volunteer coaches we would urge them to work closely with existing volunteering infrastructure organisations to maximise the impact of this initiative.

"Volunteer Centres have strong links in deprived areas and expertise in placing people of all ages in suitable volunteer roles, including non-traditional sports."

Meanwhile, John Ramsey, chair of the Association of Volunteer Managers, pointed out that a third of volunteers believe the sector could be organised more efficiently.

Earlier this year, Steve Bundred, chief executive for the Audit Commission, asserted that a recent study into the level of funding for voluntary sector companies was not accurate enough to give a true assessment of the industry.

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