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13 Jan 2011 09:38:02
Dozens of staff and students from the University of Bedfordshire will have specialist volunteering roles at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
The London 2012 Games Maker Programme has involved recruiting up to 70,000 volunteers who will make the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics happen. These people are called London 2012 Games Makers and they will have both specialist and general volunteering roles.
The University’s staff and students will be working particularly closely with handball and wrestling at the Olympic Games, and boccia and goalball at the Paralympics.
The University’s Director of Sport, Professor John Brewer, said: “I’m delighted that the University of Bedfordshire has been able to work with LOCOG (the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games) to provide specialist volunteering opportunities for our staff and students.
“The specialist roles differ from general volunteering roles that have been offered to the public and, as a result, it will enable our staff and students to have an integral involvement with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“The Olympics and Paralympics will be a once in a lifetime opportunity and the fact we are one of just a small group of universities that are providing specialist volunteering opportunities for staff and students is something we should be proud of.
“Around 50 staff and students are registered with LOCOG as specialist volunteers and over the coming months, they will undergo a series of training activities to get them fully trained for the specialist roles they will be filling.”
One of the London 2012 Games Makers volunteers from the University is Kevin Wyld, a Lecturer in Sport Science and Personal Training based at the Bedford campus.
He said: “It will be a fantastic experience to be involved and the Olympics and Paralympics will probably only come to this country once in my lifetime. It’s also good for anyone to put something like this on their CV.”
Kevin has already visited the LOCOG offices in London and attended workshops in preparation for officiating at ‘local’ handball games throughout the country. He is aiming to be a table statistician to ensure the smooth running of handball matches and he will be put through his paces at an extensive test event this November.
