Monthly News Archive
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November 16, 2010
The training centres will interview 16,000 applicants for the London Ambassadors Programme
Ten volunteer centres in London will recruit and train 8,000 volunteers as part of a £7m scheme to help tourists find their way around the city during the 2012 Olympic Games.
The centres, not yet appointed, will interview about 16,000 applicants for the London Ambassadors programme, which is being run by the London Development Agency and Greater London Volunteering.
The teams of volunteers will be based in central London and at major train stations and airports. They will give directions, answer questions and provide information about local restaurants and entertainment.
Kerry Tweed, chief executive of Greater London Volunteering, said the scheme had received start-up funding from the LDA but a commercial partner was also being sought. She said the scheme would cost about £7m to run.
She said GLV and the LDA had not yet chosen which 10 centres would be responsible for interviewing, selecting and training.
The centres would provide training on London orientation and cultural awareness for the volunteers, who would work from 20 July to 10 September 2012, Tweed said.
"There will be a tight schedule but we think it is feasible for each centre to interview about 1,600 people," she said. "The 10 centres will be able to draw in staff from other volunteer centres in London."
Each volunteer would receive free transport within the capital and a free meal for every shift they completed, according to Tweed. The application process for the scheme ends on 31 December and the volunteers will be interviewed in April next year.
Third Sector Today November 16th 2010
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November 2, 2010
Over 240,000 apply to become Games Makers with the London 2012 volunteering programme
London 2012 today reports that over 240,000 people have applied to the London 2012 Games Maker volunteer programme.
Applications for the London 2012 volunteering programme have now closed and people from all backgrounds and communities and from across the UK have applied for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.
The volunteering team at the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) will now be working through the applications to select the best of the best. They are looking for dedicated and passionate people who are committed to going beyond their personal best and ensuring that the London 2012 Games are the best they can be.
Selection and interviews of short-listed applicants will take place from February 2011 to February 2012 before training will begin.
The Mayor of London is also running a separate volunteering programme and aiming to recruit up to 8,000 London Ambassadors to help and advise all the visitors who will travel to London in Games time. Located at key points across the city - including transport hubs, outside Games venues, and at popular visitor spots - they will provide information on what to see and do, where to stay and how to get around the capital. The registration period for the Mayor’s volunteering programme closes on 31st December 2010.
Worldwide Olympic Partner McDonald’s is the Presenting Partner of the Volunteer Programme. McDonald’s has used its nationwide presence to help attract candidates for the diverse team that will be needed to make the London 2012 Games a success.
Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: “We’re thrilled with the response we’ve had to date for our volunteering programme and would like to thank the 240,000 people who have pledged to give their time during the Games in 2012. Now we begin the task of finding the right people and ensuring that we match them to the most appropriate roles. This is a long process and will take time but we’re asking people to be patient – this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is really worth it!”
Justin Davis Smith, Chair of the Life-Time UK Alliance and Chief Executive of Volunteering England, said: “We’re delighted with this great response to the Games Maker programme. The Games Makers will each have an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience. The excitement generated by the 2012 Games will create a lasting legacy for volunteering in our society.”
London Ambassadors
For more information and to register to become a London Ambassadors go online to www.londonambassadors.org.uk. The registration period for the Mayor’s volunteering programme closes on 31st December 2010 and application forms will be sent out in January.
Posted by ELN at 10:16 AM
Big Lottery Fund Announces £75 Million Fund for Community Buildings
The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) has announced that it will be investing an additional £75 million specifically for rural and urban community-use buildings through its Reaching Communities Programme for England.
From early December, voluntary and community organisations and town and parish councils will be able to submit outline proposals for capital grants of between £100,000 and £500,000 towards projects with a total value of no more than £750,000.
BIG created the fund to turn existing facilities into buildings offering a wide range of activities for the benefit of a broad group of people in the community. Grants will be awarded for the renovation of any multi-purpose building currently used by communities, including memorial halls, community centres and village halls.
Once the new funding stream opens, a list of eligibility criteria will be published on BIG's website to allow organisations to assess their chances of success before submitting a proposal and interested parties can register for more information by calling 0845 410 2030.
Applications will be assessed on a monthly rolling basis, allowing organisations to submit an outline proposal without the additional pressure of meeting a deadline.
Posted by ELN at 9:50 AM