Introduction to SCORE

zam_highFive_200SCORE is an international non-profit organisation specialising in community development through sport and recreation.  With its origins in South Africa in 1991, SCORE now has autonomous national offices in South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and the Netherlands, each supported by the SCORE International office in Cape Town.


SCORE staff facilitate the development process by training local sports leaders who implement activities and drive the sport and development process in their own communities.  In the case of certain projects, volunteers who receive  training and support from regional staff, add value and increase capacity.   SCORE projects are implemented within a framework of three core programs : Living Sport, VIP & Cup of Heroes.  These programs provide structure to the development continuum along which individual community sport leaders and community sport structures develop and are central to SCORE's programatic approach to Sport and Development. 

SCORE's vision is to "Change lives and build stronger communities through sport". Targeting Children and Youth, Women and Girls and Rural Communities, SCORE achieves it's vision by building strong partnerships , especially at community level, and through the capacity provided by SCORE volunteers and the volunteer community sports leaders trained and supported by the organisation in the communities where SCORE operates .

SCORE's mission is to use sport to provide children and youth with valuable skills and opportunities that they need to succeed in life and contribute to their communities. To this end, the focus of SCORE projects is on the implementation of: Life and Leadership Skills Training; Youth/Peer Driven Community Sports Activities and Events; Community Sports Organisational Capacity Building and Using Sport as a Development Tool.

The organisation is internationally recognised as a pioneer and leader in the field of sports development and, as such, has been appointed to a number of consulting roles by Governments and development agencies. Such appointments form part of SCORE's objective to fund key areas of it's operations through income generating initiatives. To this end, SCORE provides a range of services as well as short-term volunteer experiences such as SCORExplore.

zam_netballMatch_200SCORE's core programmes and key projects are largely funded by donor orgnisations and government departments, many of which have been supporting SCORE for a number of years. Scope however exists for once off donations to incrementally increase the implementation capacity of existing projects and SCORE welcomes online donations or direct deposits that can fund specific project components.




Achievements

SCORE has recruited volunteers from 22 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Namibia, The Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United States of America, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

SCORE has coached more than 20 different sporting codes.

SCORE has built more than 45 multipurpose sports facilities for communities in 4 Provinces.

SCORE has assisted the Zimbabwean Sports and Recreation Commission to set up a sports volunteer program of their own.

SCORE has conducted feasibility studies in Suriname (South America) and Namibia (Africa) for volunteer sports development projects.

SCORE has set up new SCORE programs in Namibia and Zambia in partnership with the Namibian government and Zambian National Sports Council respectively.




Values and guiding principles

Ubuntu
Transformation
Diversity
Integrity
Fun
Quality
Inspiration
Innovation




Focus areas

From beneficiaries to partners:
Children and Youth
Women and Girls
Rural Communities
Sports Volunteers
Partnership Development

Implementation focus areas:
Life and Leadership Skills Training
Youth or Peer Driven Community Sports Activities and Events
Community Sports Organisational Capacity Building
Sport as a Development Tool