Leadership and volunteering

An overview

CFE has over 20 years’ experience evaluating leadership and volunteering programmes that build skills, confidence and inclusive cultures across education, health, and sport. We specialise in large-scale, mixed-methods studies that track outcomes for individuals and organisations, combining quantitative analysis with rich qualitative insight. Our work for Sport England includes evaluations of Leading for Renewal and Club Leaders. These evaluations assess how leadership development and volunteering strengthen the sport and physical activity workforce, tackling inequalities in participation and governance. Beyond sport, we have evaluated leadership programmes in schools, higher education and the health sector, including successive National Professional Qualifications and mentoring schemes. We have developed expertise in how leadership training, peer networks and volunteering opportunities empower people to drive change, diversify decision-making and create fairer, more inclusive systems.

Examples of our work

Creating a leadership community – Leading the Movement

The challenge

Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy places tackling long-term inequalities at the heart of sport and physical activity. Its Leading the Movement programme aims to harness the power of people and leadership to drive change – equipping current and emerging leaders to challenge inequality, champion diversity, and create more inclusive systems across organisations and communities.

Our role

CFE, working with the Centre for Social Justice in Sport and Society at Leeds Beckett University, is leading a five-year evaluation of Leading the Movement. Combining leadership development expertise with deep knowledge of equity, diversity and inclusion, our evaluation assesses how the programme builds skills, supports under-represented leaders, and influences organisational change. Our flexible, long-term design will track participants, capture outcomes, and adapt to emerging learning as the programme evolves.

Impact

This evaluation will provide Sport England with robust evidence on how leadership development can tackle structural inequalities and strengthen the sport and physical activity workforce, informing future investment and national policy.

Evaluation of Sport England’s Volunteering Fund

The challenge

Sport England’s Volunteering Fund set out to increase the diversity of people volunteering in sport and physical activity. Working with 37 projects across England, it tested new ways to engage under-represented groups – including women, young people, disabled people and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds – while exploring how volunteering can strengthen communities and promote youth social action.

Our role

CFE led a four-year national evaluation using surveys, in-depth interviews and case studies with volunteers, project leads and community members. We tracked over 8,900 volunteers, capturing 211,000 hours of volunteering and exploring the impact on individuals, organisations and local areas.

Impact

Our findings show significant gains in wellbeing, confidence, skills and community belonging. Nearly 40% of volunteers had never volunteered before and most planned to continue, demonstrating how inclusive approaches can expand the volunteer base and strengthen the sport and physical activity system.

Other sectors we work in

We work across diverse fields, tailoring our research expertise to deliver clear, trusted insights. Our adaptable approach means we apply rigorous research across varied contexts, always focused on learning, clarity, and positive change.

Physical activity and participation

We assess programmes and policies that aim to increase physical activity and reduce inequalities in participation. Our evaluations help organisations understand what works to support healthier, more active communities.