No longer call them Municipal Sports Offices (OMS) but Sports Offices (OS). “It is an issue of clarification”, underlines David Guillouf, national director of the – still called – National Federation of Municipal Sports Offices (FNOMS)! In his eyes, “the adjective ‘municipal’ is likely to sow doubt because it is generally synonymous with attachment to the community. However, this is not the case with an office ”. Indeed, the latter is an independent body of the municipality. It is an association of law 1901 which is “complementary to the others”, summarizes it. And even in the service of others. The FNOMS defines it as “a structure for consultation, development and pooling of resources”, which also makes proposals in terms of sports practice, to the municipality or inter-municipality. “It is a facilitator of exchanges and for the community, an excellent way to develop its sporting practice”, pleads the national director.
Multi-faceted structure
Illustration in Miramas (Bouches-du-Rhône – 26,470 inhab.) Which is part of 1,257 sports office attached to the Federation. “We are really an interface between the community and the associations,” describes its president Philippe Jarton, who brings together 63 member clubs, “or 90% of the city’s sports associations. It benefits from an annual budget of € 350,000 and is supported by 5.8 full-time equivalents, including 1.8 made available by the local authority.
“We work in close collaboration with the sports department and elected officials. For them, we are a gateway to the associative fabric, ”he continues. “We organize actions in connection with the events of the city. We are also discussing the criteria for grants to associations ”. Support for the latter takes the form of loan of equipment (“from the fryer to the minibus”), fundraising, help with accounting, etc.
“We are also forging partnerships with social centers to promote the practice of sport by young people from the city’s political districts”, continues Alicia Scotto, responsible for associative projects. The action of this structure also extends to sport-health, through the coordination of a House Sport-Health, recently labeled. “We do not offer sessions but we support clubs wishing to invest in this niche”.
Contract of trust
In Ille-et-Vilaine, the Sports Office of Saint-Méen-Montauban is part of the community of municipalities (17 municipalities, 27 105 inhab.). Its action goes beyond that of a simple “interface” since it also offers multisport activities and sports-health, thanks to its 6 full-time salaried sports educators. Which “can also be made available to associations”, details Vincent Palaric, its president. “We are perfectly identified on the territory. The municipalities trust us to develop and support the local associative fabric ”.
And David Guillouf (FNOMS), to conclude: “confidence is the key for a sports office to live and be useful to all: to associations and to the community”.
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