Pivotal, inspirational, essential: Is Manchester more motivated to ... - Mancunian Matters

THE KEY: Helpers made Games a success Posted Monday, September 17, 2012 - 09:51

By Pippa Field

The London 2012 Games Makers ‘could be a moment in history for volunteering in our society’, Justin Davis Smith, chief executive of Volunteering England, is claiming.

The 70,000 unpaid helpers were pivotal to both the Olympics and Paralympics, attracting praise from athletes, coaches and respected figures alike.

But with games fever fading away, and British gold rushes becoming a mere happy memory, is it sensible to assume that the volunteering feel good factor is going to continue – particularly outside of London where the presence of games makers was less felt?

London Mayor Boris Johnson clearly wants to ensure the legacy lives on.

Last week he appointed Veronica Wadley, former editor of the London Evening Standard, as senior adviser on volunteering and charities and sponsorship and asked that other cities join together in establishing their own army of volunteers.

Manchester itself has a strong volunteering scene, with opportunities including helping the elderly, offering social support and organising events and sports sessions.

One particular scheme to benefit from the London 2012 Games was the Manchester Volunteer Sports Bureau, an organisation that helps people volunteer in their community via sports clubs, in schools, community physical education schemes or major sporting events.

Leading up to and during the games, the organisation helped to provide volunteers at points all across the city to act as tour guides and show visitors around.

Speaking about how volunteers of all ages enjoyed being part of the games experience, Craig Abel, Volunteer Development Officer for Manchester City Council, said: ‘The Olympics and Paralympics was all about inspiring a generation and leaving a legacy.

“It was fantastic. Volunteers were proud of the city and wanted to be involved and promote the city.”

But even though the organisation has seen an increase in people contacting them about volunteering since the games, Mr Abel also indicated the difficulty of keeping the ‘giving spirit’ going.

“There really was a feel good factor going around,” he added. “But now that the summer is over, the hard works starts in keeping it going.”

With the furore over the games fading away, the moment to capitalise is arguably now, but opinion remains mixed in the city centre about how far outside of London the so called ‘games maker effect’ reached.

Speaking with MM, Helen Crossan, 36, editorial assistant from Wilmslow suggested it might have had an effect.

“It’s a good thing,” she said. “It may have changed the way people think about volunteering, and make people want to get involved.”

But although a large number of people praised the games maker volunteers, the extent to which they have motivated those living in Manchester to take up volunteering is low as summed up by John Zeary, 23, unemployed from Salford.

“It was impressive what the volunteers did, but it’s only 50/50 whether it would inspire me to take up volunteering,” he said.

And so it appears that the excitement of the games managed to reach out across the entire country, but if the likes of Boris Johnson and Justin Davis Smith really want to have a volunteering legacy, it will surely need a more localised push to build upon the good work already done by the London 2012 games maker volunteers.

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