Olympic and paralympic Games: THE IMPACT OF ... - Universities UK

universities, studentsand volunteeringVolunteers are the key to any successful Olympic Games. In fact the very first Olympic volunteermovement started in London during the 1948 Games, primarily as a way to keep the costsof hosting down following the Second World War. Thousands of volunteers dubbed “GamesMakers” have already been recruited by the London Organising Committee for the OlympicGames but many universities and student organisations are also seeking to engage in their ownway in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.be a championThe National Union of Students (NUS)launched its own volunteer initiative, “Be aChampion”, which has seen over 70 students’unions appoint a student or team of studentsto act as ambassadors for London 2012.Using a number of online resources providedby NUS, over 80 students’ unions are alsorunning projects to help celebrate the Gamesand £16,000 has been given to students’unions to help encourage students to getinvolved. Over 30 students’ unions so far havebeen accredited for their role in supportingLondon 2012. One project at the Universityof Leeds has already been awarded a goldaccreditation by the NUS for its plans, whichinclude building an Olympic garden whichwill be managed by a university conservationgroup, and an Olympic clock which has beendesigned by post graduate product designstudents.student and staff volunteersvolunteers for pre-Games test events as wellas for Olympic and Paralympic events. Theuniversity has established a unique partnershipwith LOCOG and is providing around 200trained student volunteers to take up pressoperational roles at the Games. They will bejoined by seven staff from the university.Paul Deighton, Chief Executive of LOCOG, addressesstudent volunteers from Sheffield Hallam Universityat a special mock press conference at the University.One of the largest cohorts of studentvolunteers will come from Sheffield HallamUniversity, which will provide trainedPaul Deighton, chair of LOCOG, visitedSheffield Hallam in September 2011 and metsome of the volunteers. He said that theagreement was fantastic for LOCOG because“we get terrific people, who are highlymotivated and very well trained.”44 SECTION nine : universities, students and volunteering