Young Games Maker Programme Launched
With just one year to go until the start of the London 2012 Games, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today announced details of the Young Games Maker programme.
Over 2,000 young people from across the UK will be recruited to take up volunteer roles vital to ensuring the successful delivery of the Games.
Approximately 250 teams of young people, who must be aged 16 or over on 1st July 2012 and under 18 on 1st January 2012 will join the adult Games Makers next summer to help stage the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The programme will allow young people already involved in sport to experience sport at its highest level and explore opportunities that exist outside competition; whilst encouraging those not necessarily involved in sport now to participate and develop their skills.
LOCOG is inviting organisations such as youth or sports clubs, community and volunteering groups and schools and colleges that are members of the London 2012 Get Set network, to spend the next eight weeks reviewing the roles on offer and encouraging their young people to consider forming a team.
Team leaders such as teachers, coaches and youth group leaders will apply on behalf of their team and support the young people through every stage of selection, training and delivery at Games time.
Team sizes range from role to role and can vary between two and 18 young people, with a team leader on board for every 10 young people.
Jean Tomlin, LOCOG HR director, said: ‘The Young Games Maker programme is incredibly exciting as it has allowed us to identify a dedicated offering of roles which will allow us to harness young people’s enthusiasm for London 2012 and guarantee 16 to 18-year-olds will have the chance to play their part in the greatest sporting event on earth’.
‘With the support of their organisation and team leader, they will receive all the help they need to ensure they can make the most of this once in a lifetime chance and bring their very best to the role’.
Recruitment of Young Games Maker teams will be via a specialist or generalist route, with roles being defined by the number of team opportunities, skills required and level of training commitments.
Roles recruited through specialist channels, such as National Governing Bodies of sport, include Water Polo Ball Retrievers and Table Tennis Ball Boys, while generalist applications for roles such as Athlete Kit Team members for Swimming and Athletics and Venue Results Distributors, will be via www.london2012.com/young-games-maker.
In both cases, team leaders will be invited to apply for a specific role which best meets the skills and abilities of their team.
Applications for Olympic Tennis Ball Boys and Girls and Wheelchair Tennis specialist roles also commence from 22nd September.
Given the extensive training programme required for the Ball Boy and Ball Girl roles, recruitment for Tennis teams will be through Get Set network schools in the London Boroughs of Wandsworth and Merton, and for Wheelchair Tennis through Get Set network schools in the six Host Boroughs of Waltham Forest, Greenwich, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Newham and Barking and Dagenham.
Schools and colleges wishing to submit a team application for any Young Games Maker role will need to be a member of the Get Set network.
Minister for Sport and the Olympics Hugh Robertson, added: ‘The Young Games Maker programme will give those aged 16 to 18 a fantastic opportunity to play a role in the world’s greatest sporting event and gain worthwhile experience in volunteering. I would encourage everyone to get involved and gain a valuable addition to their CV.’
More information about the Young Games Maker programme can be found at www.london2012.com/young-games-maker.
