Calling all sports fans! If you want to be part of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Volunteer Programme is the perfect way to get involved. Volunteering at London 2012 will give you the chance to get closer to your sporting heroes, improve your local community and experience the excitement of the Olympic Games in London firsthand.

Around 70,000 volunteers are needed to help the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games run smoothly. Volunteers from a range of communities and backgrounds will be recruited and trained to the highest standards for London 2012.

Previous volunteering experience is not necessary to become a London 2012 Olympic Volunteer, but applicants must:

* Be 18 or above by 1 January 2012

* Commit to at least ten days’ volunteering at either the Olympic or Paralympic Games

* Attend a minimum of three London 2012 volunteer training sessions

* Be eligible to volunteer in the UK

* Pass security background checks

Volunteering Tasks during London 2012

London 2012 volunteers will be given specific roles, according to their skills and training. There will be two types of volunteers; specialist and generalist. Specialist volunteers will need existing skills or qualifications, such as sport or medical training.

Generalist volunteers will not need any skills or qualifications, other than the appropriate London 2012 Volunteer training. They may be given roles in areas such as:

* 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 this year, but you can register your interest now.

Sign up on the official London 2012 website to add your name to the volunteering list and receive regular email updates about the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Volunteering before London 2012

There are also plenty of ways that you can get involved in the run-up to London 2012; you don’t need to wait until the Olympic Games start in 2012 to volunteer.

If you live in one of the East London Host Boroughs around 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:

* Inspire local people to improve public areas such as parks and open spaces.

* Enable people to learn new interests and skills.

* Improve the quality of the local environment for the London 2012 Olympic Games and beyond.

You can either volunteer at an organised project or event, or create your own project with the help and support of Changing Places.

Alternatively, if you have office-based skills you might want to apply to become a Trailblazer Volunteer. This involves helping the London 2012 Organising Committee to prepare for the Olympic and Paralympic Games by working one day per week in their London office.

Volunteering after London 2012

It is hoped that long after the Olympic Games have finished, the London 2012 Volunteer legacy will live on.

This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of a wide-reaching volunteering network, improving the lives of local communities all over the UK.

Having established a ‘family’ of volunteers in the run up to London 2012, organisers plan to build on this with more opportunities and better training for volunteers nationwide.

Author Bio: Click here for more information about volunteering in the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games

Category: Sports
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