Volunteering for the Olympics

[David Martin]

There are something like 20-30,000 volunteers. There are also employees, buildings, meals, uniforms, travel and the kind of stuff that is being provided (and should have been provided to the volunteers on the thames pageant). 

I don't normally wear a watch (i use a sundial for important meetings, if it is raining then the meeting cannot be that important - it is a sign from the weather gods)  but I will be attempting to subvert the Olympic branding with my very own pair of Glasgow 2014 shoelaces..

[gordon taylor]

Forgive me for smiling - I knew that when I posted this morning about my positive Olympic experience and the enthusiasm and commitment of thousands of people for the games, that the YACF curmudgeon/anti-capitalist meme would respond.

I'm a VOLUNTEER. One of 250,000 who applied and one of 70,000 who are left. Right from the first communication I knew what I was signing up to - no money, no expenses, no accommodation, no tickets, no perks, conform to the rules. I've had good training; I understand what to do. I am capable of being pleasant and helpful to visitors, families and competitors all day.

Let the YACF moanfest begin! 

[clarion]

Was it ever mentioned that some of the 'volunteers' would be on 'work experience' or 'training'?

I am genuinely curious, because, until last weekend, the impression has been given that it will be an entirely volunteer workforce.

[Exit Stage Left]

Was it ever mentioned that some of the 'volunteers' would be on 'work experience' or 'training'?

I am genuinely curious, because, until last weekend, the impression has been given that it will be an entirely volunteer workforce.

Isn't there already a thread about this subject over on POBI?

[Peter]

Forgive me for smiling - I knew that when I posted this morning about my positive Olympic experience and the enthusiasm and commitment of thousands of people for the games, that the YACF curmudgeon/anti-capitalist meme would respond.

I'm a VOLUNTEER. One of 250,000 who applied and one of 70,000 who are left. Right from the first communication I knew what I was signing up to - no money, no expenses, no accommodation, no tickets, no perks, conform to the rules. I've had good training; I understand what to do. I am capable of being pleasant and helpful to visitors, families and competitors all day.

Let the YACF moanfest begin! 

Gordy, I think you are trying too hard.  All David was suggesting was that it would have been nice if the Thames Pagaent "volunteers" had been treated with the same respect as human beings as you have been.  I enjoyed your Polish reports and I hope you enjoy the Olympic experience.  However, I can think for myself and prefer not to be referred to as a meme.

[gordon taylor]

Was it ever mentioned that some of the 'volunteers' would be on 'work experience' or 'training'?

I am genuinely curious, because, until last weekend, the impression has been given that it will be an entirely volunteer workforce.

No. The 70,000 "Gamesmakers" are the volunteers.

There are 200,000 paid staff too - security, ticket sales, catering, venue management etc etc etc.
I have no idea what their contract conditions are.

[clarion]

OK, thanks.  I think we can take 'paid' with a pinch of salt, but it's nice to know that the volunteers truly are just that.

I hope you have a great time

[Cudzoziemiec]

There are something like 20-30,000 volunteers.

I'm a VOLUNTEER. One of 250,000 who applied and one of 70,000 who are left.

So how many volunteers are there? Not that it really matters, just wondering.

[David Martin]

Mee tooo!!
It is a kind of Wayland's Smithy deal though.
I'll be at Hyde Park Corner crossing 4a telling people to not throw themselves under the wheels of the packs of cyclists. The counterpoint is that I have to be at HPC..

And then I am somewhere near Sandown Park for the Time Trials.

The shifts do look long though.
 

[Biggsy]

Do you get an Oyster card even if you already have an Oyster card, and can it only be used on certain dates at certain places?

[Kathy]

I'm a volunteer.

Depending on how you look at it, I will be forced to cycle long miles, regardless of the weather, with no suitable clothing provided, often travelling late at night/early in the morning, for no pay or recognition.

Alternatively, I will be given the opportunity to spend my summer afternoons and evenings doing a hobby I love, with my own kit, in the company of some good friends, having fun and investigating a few nearby pubs too.

I'm really looking forwards to this, and am doing it entirely of my own free will. I know there is no reward other than the joy of doing it. I know the travelcard won't cover all my expenses (I live outside zone six). I know that I'm going to have a tough few rides home in the cold and wet, and it's up to me to remember to take warm clothing. I know (because I've been told) that I may have to stand outside in the open for many hours, and there may be bad weather. I know I must attend up to twelve compulsory (unpaid) rehearsals prior to the main (unpaid) event. I'm happy with all of this, but I'm equally aware that my experience could be spun into a ghastly torment by cruel organisers, if people were so inclined.

(I'm leaving the whole "compulsory workfare" argument out of this, because I've heard a number of contradictory versions, and that's more suited to P&OBI).

[David Martin]

I went to pick up my uniform today. Now, heading out to an industrial estate in East London, to an old warehouse to go through a bureaucratic procedure full of box ticking and double checking could have been tedious and painful. In fact it was really uplifting. Lots of really enthused people, all looking to make this a great games whether they were marshalling the wrestling, helping int he athletes village, on IT support or whatever. It was a strangely uplifting experience.

I discovered that of the 70,000 volunteers, there are 17 David Martin's, one of whom is a volunteer cleaner in the athletes village.

This will be a great olympics, it will be a lot of fun and build a great community spirit. It really is bringing out the best in many people. You might argue that they are being exploited by big business. That's your view - it certainly isnt mine.

The only downside was discovering that I have lost a pair of Olympic socks between West Ham and New Malden.. Oh, well, at least it wasn't something important.

..d

[TimO]

I'm not particularly involved in the Olympics, beyond trying to avoid public transport for the duration, and possibly standing around on the roads in an attempt to see some of the road races, but I am lending use of my spare room to a friend of my brother and sister-in-law, who is coming up from Newton Abbot for it.  As far as I know, she gets paid transport within London, via an Oyster card, but still has to pay to travel up here.  If I didn't give her free use of the spare room, she wouldn't possibly be able to afford to do it.

One of my colleagues wife works for the NHS, and is involved in the opening ceremony.  They've been given Oyster cards to use for travel to and from the practice sessions (and presumably the event proper), and they periodically get replaced, regardless of whether they've used up all the credit on them (I guess this stops people just building up a vast unused positive credit).  It's far more than she needs to travel for the purposes of the games, so I think she's using it to get to and from work now.

... there was also the comment, that apparently some of the newer "volunteers" have turned out to be far far better dancers than the original bunch, and there's been some suggestion that possibly they aren't volunteers, or indeed NHS employees, and may have slightly more professional experience at dancing than your average person!

[Valiant]

My partner is in the opening and closing ceremonies. I'm proud of her. Her necessary days off are paid for by her company as the OG are actually their clients. Which makes me feel a little better.

[itsbruce]

I just heard that one particular part of the opening ceremony, for which some here and on other cycling forums had put in a lot of time, has been cancelled. 

[gordon taylor]

I spent the  morning at Greenwich Park - getting the last of my training finished and meeting team leaders etc.
The park, the buildings and the London skyline looked stunning in the sunshine.

I am completely overwhelmed by the scale of this event and the astonishing level of logistics and preparation.

As usual, the buzz and excitement from dozens of staff and hundreds of volunteers was invigorating.
I can't wait for the real thing.   

[gordon taylor]

I did three days of volunteering at Greenwich Park.



I loved the event and the atmosphere - but didn't enjoy my role. As part of the ticketing team, I spent most of my shifts telling people in long queues that there were no tickets available, despite there clearly being banks and banks of empty seats in the arena. My boss was run ragged trying to extract tickets from the media and the various Olympic Associations to put them on general sale. I've finished now.

The best bit of my whole week was the amazing accommodation and hospitality from Zipperhead and family. 



I also enjoyed cycling to and fro across London each day - that made an "interesting" change from my usual rural lanes.

[delthebike]

I also enjoyed cycling to and fro across London each day - that made an "interesting" change from my usual rural lanes.

Commrade Gordyski, tell us, did you ride in the Zil lanes?

Are you of to other parts or is your volunteering over?

[Canardly]

Well done Gordy glad you enjoyed it despite the little local difficulties.

[David Martin]

I also did three days and they were excellent. I was marshalling crossing points for the road races and time trial. The whole atmosphere was superb, and I worked with some really nice people.


Very tired after being on my feet all day, deafened by the support for team GB and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll definitely be looking to see what I can do for Glasgow 2014.

[Jaded]

The volunteers that I have met on duty, at Eton Dorney twice, Horse Guards, Cardiff and at many other places in London have, without exception, been amazing. A major part of the games, IMO.

[Lindagordinho]

Our friend Mark is a volunteer driver for the whole thing.  He met Eddie Izzard today. 

[mr magnolia]

There were loads of volunteers in Glasgow yesterday, for the football, all keen and friendly. Even the polis had exchanged their usual hardman style for something a lot cheerier. We decided that if you had arrived from (say) Korea, north or south, you would have readily found your way to Hampden. Well done to that volunteer team.

[David Martin]

At the end of the time trial the announcer acknowledged the volunteers and we all got a great cheer and applause from the crowd. It's the little things that make peoples days special - just helping them out, loaning an umbrella when it rains, lending families with young kids my big union flag to wave 'can you help me? I need someone to wave this for me. Thanks'

Generally making it a party. At the road race we tried to get a mexican wave going along the barrier - after a bit of effort we managed to get it to run almost to the next crossing point.

Great folks, and great crowds. Chatting to some germans by the time trial ' So you'll be hoping for a silver medal then?' 'How are you enjoying London?'  I don't know if it will reclaim all that was spent in the short term, but in the long term the olympics will be a financial success and no small part of that is down to the volunteers.

[Jurek]

I just heard that one particular part of the opening ceremony, for which some here and on other cycling forums had put in a lot of time, has been cancelled. 

Given the date on which you posted that Bruce, that could've been me.....
FWIW, I cannot remember having ever before, worked with such a diverse bunch of enthusiastic, positive, can-do attitude people.
Although it was hard work and the outcome for me (and 180 or so others) wasn't the one I expected, I don't for one second regret having been involved and confess to having enjoyed every moment of it especially the times we were in the stadium itself.
I should point out that although I volunteered, as professional cast I was paid for my time.