The event saw 10,000 Games Makers in attendance for what is the first of six national orientation events taking place today, tomorrow and also on February 18.

A total of 60,000 peoople are set to attend across the six sessions.

The orientation training events will be the biggest London 2012 event outside of the Games themselves and are they mark the first stage in the training programme for both London 2012 employees and the 70,000 Games Makers.

"Today marks a significant milestone in our preparation for the Games," said London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe.

"These orientation events are the start of our extensive training programme which will deliver over one million training hours for up to 70,000 people from around the country.

"Our Games Makers will contribute a total of around eight million volunteer hours during the Games and simply wouldn't happen without them.

"I hope that the orientation training they receive has made them even more excited about being part of the London 2012 team this summer."

The orientation training events provide an introduction to the heritage and importance of the Games as well as an insight into what working at London 2012 will be like, including the sports, venues and the roles.

The sessions include welcome talks from hosts, presentations and mocked up scenarios which will introduce all Games time workers to the realities of putting on an event the size of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Six smaller regional orientation sessions will be held in March for Games Makers who have been offered roles at venues outside of London in Weymouth and Portland, Cardiff, Coventry, Newcastle, Manchester and Glasgow and invites for these are currently being sent out.


By the time the start of the Games, the volunteers will have collectively undertaken 1.2 million hours of training with around eight million volunteer hours across the summer of 2012 will be used.

Games Makers will also receive role-specific training from this month onwards, including leadership training for team leaders, before the getting venue-specific training in June.

Exactly 2,000 young people will be taking up volunteer roles during the London 2012 Games, as part of the Young Games Maker programme, with approximately 250 teams of young people will joining the adult Games Makers this summer.

Worldwide Olympic Partner McDonald's is the Presenting Partner of the Games Maker volunteer programme, marking the first time ever that the Olympic and Paralympic volunteering training process has a sponsor.

McDonald's has used its nationwide presence to help attract candidates while the London 2012 volunteer team held training sessions for many of the volunteers conducting interviews at the world-class training facilities at McDonald's head office in East Finchley in London.

The restaurant chain will also be helping to facilitate the training of the volunteers in the run up to Games time.

"With the first orientation event getting underway it feels like the Games are nearly here," the vice president of people at McDonald's UK Jez Langhorn told insidethegames.

"We've been hard at work to help plan and design the training materials that will prepare the volunteers for the challenge ahead, drawing on our experience in delivering great customer service and award-winning training programmes on a large scale.

"As the Games Makers prepare for their role this summer, McDonald's will to be on hand to support them every step of the way.

"It's an exciting time to be part of the hospitality sector as we prepare to put the country on show to millions of visitors this summer and I'm proud of the role we will have played in making sure our volunteers are ready."

Almost a quarter of a million people applied to the Games Maker programme in 2010 and a team of specially trained volunteer interviewers has been carrying out selection interviews since February 2011.

Up to 100,000 interviews will have been conducted over the course of the programme and of these; 76,000 interviews have taken place to date in nine selection centres around the UK.

Interviews will continue in London's selection centre at ExCeL through to the end of March 2012 and so far, 55,000 offers have been made for roles at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games and will continue to be made, with the final role expected to be filled at the end of April.

Meanwhile, Cadbury is an Official Supporter of the London 2012 Games Maker programme and will help London 2012 build great Games Maker teams through game play delivered by programmes such as the Spots v Stripes campaign.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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