13,000 volunteers to be recruited for CG Games

BIRMINGHAM: Applications to volunteer at next year’s Commonwealth games in Birmingham are open now. The volunteer search scheme called “Common Collective” will help to find more than 13,000 volunteers for the Birmingham 2022 from across the region.

To mark the launch of volunteering applications for Birmingham 2022, organisers, games partners, athletes and volunteers gathered in a ceremony held at Library of Birmingham.

Speaking to Geo News, Commonwealth Games chief executive Ian Reid said the games will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to put the city, the region and its people on the global stage.?

“The volunteers will be the face of Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022. So we are looking for them to help us deliver the games and welcome everybody to the city and the region. It’s a time commitment for 10-11 days but you will have a once in a lifetime experience of working on and being involved in one of the most exciting events in the world,” said Reid.

Minster for Sports Nigel Huddleston told Geo News that it’s a fantastic opportunity to get involved as the majority of volunteer roles don’t even need any formal experience or qualifications as full training will be provided.

“The excitement is building around the Commonwealth Games anyway but now there are more and more opportunities. We got the volunteers program, we will soon have one year to go, we will soon have the tickets going on sale, the Baton relay so you know you can really feel the excitement building here in Birmingham,” he added. The volunteer roles include drivers, first aide, meet and greeters, venue preppers, kit carriers, courtside assistants, and everything in between to help the Games run smoothly across the region.

The Birmingham Commonwealth Games is the largest sporting and cultural event ever to be held in the West Midlands and the biggest in the UK for a decade with a global audience of nearly 1.5 billion.

Local MP and Shadow Secretary for International Development Preet Kaur Gill said: “Birmingham is a diverse city, home to many communities belonging from various Commonwealth countries. You don’t need to think that why should we apply or be part of these games.”

The volunteers, also known as the “Commonwealth Collective”, will be a dedicated and dynamic group that will reflect the diversity of the West Midlands as well as the modern Commonwealth.

Local British Pakistani athlete and one of the “Hometown Heroes” for the Commonwealth games Nasim Akhtar BEM told Geo News that it’s really important to volunteer for the Games because our Pakistani community have been here from 50-60 years and this is “our city so we need to make sure that the reflection is there”.

Nasim also said: “More importantly we need to make sure women, younger people older generation all participate so that the true image of our community is reflected in these commonwealth games”.