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VOLUNTEERING - archive may 2007

IT'S BAD NEWS, AND IT'S GOOD NEWS...

Volunteer First the bad news, London 2012 have postponed the launch of their much anticipated National Volunteering Strategy until the end of 2007.

Now the good news. London 2012 have appointed the woman who led on volunteering at Sydney 2000 Olympics/Paralympics and the Manchester Commonwealth games  to lead on their voluntary programme henceforth.

In the meantime, Kent voluntary partners have not been resting on their laurels, and not only has the volunteering sectoral task group been strengthening its representation, exploring existing approaches across the county to engaging hardest-to-reach groups (in readiness for the launch of the National Volunteering Strategy which we had expected May 2007), and been exploring how best to maximise new voluntary funding identified by the County council to establish and maintain a skilled and motivated volunteer workforce post 2012, it has been unearthing a little of the detail that is likely to come forward in the National Volunteering Strategy. Namely:

Item Volunteers are likely to be required to contribute an average of 12 * 8 hour shifts (96 hours)

Item Volunteer roles will be defined to provide real value to both LOCOG and to the individual

Item Role rotation and flexibility will be encouraged

Item Games time recruitment process will begin 2010

Item Volunteers as young as 14 will be used - this is the youngest age ever for a Games volunteer

Item 99% of volunteers will be drawn from UK (in line with other Games)

Item volunteers will be chosen on “transparent diversity principles”

Item 1.5% of volunteers will be aged 14 – 16

Item 16 – 25 year olds will be recruited 10% above their actual demographic

Item training will be “delivered in partnership with existing award bodies” and “be delivered by existing providers, including the voluntary and community sector”

core elements of the training programme are likely to be

- knowledge of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games
- health and safety
- customer service
- equality and diversity
- orientation programme