The Glasgow 2018 European Championships organisers have received 2,150 applications to be part of the volunteering team in just 24 hours ©Glasgow 2018

Organisers of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships have received 2,150 applications to be part of the volunteer team in the first 24 hours of the recruitment campaign.

The search for 3,000 volunteers officially got underway yesterday following the opening of the application process.

The Glasgow 2018 volunteer programme was launched at the Scottish city's Kelvin Hall and was attended by a team of "volunteering champions" and actor Sanjeev Kohli, who has been named as an official volunteering ambassador.

Applications have not just come from Scotland but from a number of countries around the world, including Australia, India, Belarus, Ghana, Italy, Jamaica, Germany and the United States.

"We are absolutely delighted by the response so far to our call for volunteers but we want as many people as possible to put their name forward," said Glasgow 2018 director Colin Hartley.

"The numbers so far are remarkable but there is still plenty of time to register an interest for the volunteer team.

"We don't want people to just watch the European Championships, we want them to be part of it."

Volunteers are expected to play an important role in the experience offered to athletes, officials, media and fans when they visit the city next year.

The search for 3,000 volunteers for the European Championships was only launched yesterday ©Glasgow 2018
The search for 3,000 volunteers for the European Championships was only launched yesterday ©Glasgow 2018

They will support a wide range of functions including spectator services, accreditation, transport logistics and media assistance.

Glasgow 2018 is hoping to build on the success of previous volunteering programmes delivered in the city, including at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The inaugural European Championships will see existing continental competitions in aquatics, cycling, golf, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon held in Glasgow at the same time, while athletics will take place in German capital Berlin. 

Around 3,000 athletes are due to compete in Scotland between August 2 and 12 while a further 1,500 athletes will participate in Berlin.

It is hoped the quadrennial showpiece will elevate the status of European champions and attract a potential television audience of up to 1.03 billion across the continent, with a wider audience via digital platforms.

Attendances across Glasgow 2018 venues are expected to be in the region of 250,000.

Applications to become a volunteer will remain open until July 31 and those wanting to apply can do so here.