Get Involved in the London 2012 Olympics by Volunteering!
Calling all sports fans! If you want to be a part of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Volunteer Programme is the best way to get involved. Helping out at London 2012 can give you the chance to get closer to your sporting heroes, enrich your local community and feel the exhilaration of the Olympic Games in London direct. Who can volunteer for London 2012? About 70,000 volunteers are necessary to help the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games run effortlessly. Volunteers from a variety of communities and backgrounds will be hired and trained to the top standards for London 2012. Previous volunteering experience isn’t essential to be a London 2012 Olympic Volunteer, but applicants must: * Be 18 or above by 1 January 2012 * Agree to a minimum of ten days’ helping out at either the Olympic or Paralympic Games * Show up at a minimum of three London 2012 volunteer training sessions * Be eligible to volunteer in the UK * Pass security background checks Volunteering responsibilities throughout London 2012. London 2012 volunteers will be given specific roles, in accordance to their skills and training. There will be two sorts of helpers; specialist and generalist. Specialist volunteers will need existing skills or qualifications, for example sport or medical training. Generalist helpers will not have to have any expertise or qualifications, aside from the proper London 2012 Volunteer training. They could be offered jobs in sections like: * Event services * Uniform distribution * Olympic Village operations How to become a London 2012 Olympic Volunteer: Applications to become a London 2012 Olympic Volunteer will open up in 2010, but you can register your interest now. Subscribe on the official London 2012 website to include your name on the helping out list and get frequent email updates about the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Helping out before London 2012. If you live in one of the East London Host Boroughs close to the Olympic Park, you could be part of a pre-London 2012 volunteering program called Changing Places. Changing Places has been set up to help local communities prepare their area for London 2012, and aims to: * Encourage local people to improve public areas such as parks and open spaces * Permit people to learn new pursuits and abilities * Increase the quality of the local environment for the London 2012 Olympic Games and beyond Otherwise, if you have office-based expertise you may want to register to become a Trailblazer Volunteer. This involves assisting the London 2012 Organising Committee to prepare for the Olympic and Paralympic Games by working one day per week in their London office. Helping out following London 2012. It’s hoped that after the Olympic Games have concluded, the London 2012 Volunteer legacy will survive. This is an exciting chance to be a part of a wide-reaching helping out network, improving the lives of local communities all over the UK. Find out much more concerning the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games