With almost two years to go until the London 2012 Games, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has announed plans to recruit up to 70,000 volunteers for the Games.

In the biggest post-war volunteer recruitment campaign in the UK’s history LOCOG is looking for people representative of the diversity of London and the UK, including those aged 50+, to apply for a wide variety of volunteer roles. 

The volunteers will be known as Games Makers.  There will be two types of Games Maker roles: specialists in areas such as medical services, sport or press operations and generalists, with roles ranging from spectator assistants, uniform distributors and ticket checkers. 

Key dates for the application process are:

• 27 July 2010: applicatns open for pre-identified applicants for specialists sport, press operations, anti-doping and medical roles and members of a wide range of disability specialist organisations. 
• 15 September 2010: applications open to the public for generalist roles and continue for specialist roles.

Additionally, the Mayor of London will be announcing plans for the recruitment of London Volunteers, stationed at key transport hubs, at visitor attractions, and on the streets of the capital to ensure all visitors to London get the best possible welcome during the Games.

Information on volunteering roles and the application process is available at: www.london2012.com/volunteering

LOCOG is a TAEN member.