Up to 70,000 volunteers, known as Games Makers, will be helping to make the Olympics happen. Reporter KELLY SMALE finds out what is involved.
GAMES Makers will take on around 800 different roles during the Olympics from ticket checkers, spectator assistants and trackside bag carriers to score board operators, safety spotters and music operators.
More than 240,000 applications were received when recruitment began in September 2010 and 100,000 people were interviewed at selection centres across the UK.
Successful applicants attended at least three training sessions to make sure they are as prepared as possible for their role and many volunteers took part in the test events.
More than 2,000 16 to 18-year-olds are volunteering with roles including raking the sand during the beach volleyball competition at Horse Guards Parade.
Volunteer
Rachel Conner, of Redroofs Close, Beckenham, will take on the role of athlete minder for the fencing competition - looking after athletes before and after their competition.
The 23-year-old must make sure athletes get to the right place with all their equipment and then look after their kit while they are fencing.
Miss Conner said: "I'm really excited about it, though it's going to be a bit nerve-wracking because if I make any mistakes it could have reprecussions for someone's dreams of becoming an Olympic champion.
"It's going to be a high pressure environment, but it also means I'll get to watch some of the competition from a front row seat.
"I just hope one of the athletes I'm looking after gets to the final."
Volunteer
Healthcare assistant, Judith Leadley-Woods, will be working as a service coordinator helping spectators with disabilities get to and from the venues across the capital.
The 52-year-old, who works at BMI Fawkham Manor Hospital, in Manor Lane, Longfield, applied to volunteer in response to the advertisement campaign.
Ms Leadley-Woods, who lives in Farningham, said: "I applied as I thought it would be the most amazing thing to be part of.
"I couldn’t believe it when I received the email to tell me I’d been selected. I’m very excited and I’m really proud to be part of it all."
She added: "This is something that will be one of life’s achievements; it’s going to be hard work too.
"It will certainly be something I’ll be able to tell the grandchildren."
Extra volunteers
Other volunteers include Mayor of London Boris Johnson's 8,000 Team London Ambassadors, who are providing advice and guidance to visitors and Londoners as people move around the city.
Aged between 14 and 85, they will speak more than 40 languages from Albanian to Vietnamese.
Ambassadors will be based at 43 visitor locations across London and will be wearing a pink and purple polo t-shirt, trousers, jacket, bag and trilby hat.
Speaking at the unveiling of their eye-catching uniform Mr Johnson described it as "quintessentially British" and said: "It's quite striking, isn't it? I hope you don't feel too ridiculous."
Tourism bosses from Visit Kent also recruited 250 volunteers to be the face of Kent during the Games.
Games Time Kent Greeters, who are aged 18 and over, will be located at key travel hubs across the county including Ebbsfleet Railway station and the Paralympic road cycling event at Brands Hatch.
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