London 2012 isn't just for young people
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We often ate meals together and I got to know quite a few of the volunteers personally during the Games. For the first time I understood what excitement volunteers can have about being part of the Olympics.
I remember vividly dropping one of them off at a railway station at the end of the Games, a young French P.E. teacher called Christine. I carried her bags to the platform and Christine promptly burst into tears.
"Why are you crying?" I asked her. "Because the Olympics are over, " she replied. "And I've enjoyed it so much."
I was struck by the emotion that many of the French volunteers had in Albertville and, as a result, I've have a huge amount of respect for volunteers at the 10 Olympics I've been to since.
Without them, the Olympics don't function. Unlike me, they are not being paid to work at the Games. Yet, they set the tone for the Games because they will help competitors, officials and spectators from around the world.
have now launched their volunteer recruitment programme. If you want to be part of it, go to their .
I was at the launch at the Olympic Park when singer Alesha Dixon posed for photographs to promote the scheme.
I'm not sure London 2012 have got their PR right here. McDonalds are involved in the process and that means their restaurants will be full of information on volunteering and the company will be doing a lot of training.
Like Alesha, that will help 2012 get their message over to a younger audience.
But actually the best volunteers I have come across at Olympics are over over 50 or over 60. In 2000, for example. Sydney used a lot of silver-haired ladies to direct people around the Olympic Park and they were brilliant.
People respect the Saga generation and they are also much better at handling stressed media or spectators because they have more experience in life.
So, 2012, next time you promote volunteering, please roll out a celebrity over 60. How about David Jason, Roger Moore, Helen Mirren, Terry Wogan or Michael Parkinson?
2012 isn't just for the youth of the world.
I'm 91Èȱ¬ London's Olympics Correspondent, which means I report on every aspect of the preparations for 2012. I'm going to be telling you what people are saying about London's preparations - both in the Olympic corridors of power and on the streets of the capital - and I want to hear your views.
Comment number 1.
At 13th Jul 2010, Keith wrote:Well said, Adrian. As a resident of Stratford and in my mid 50's the only thing that bug's me about about the organisation of the games is the over emphasis on the young.
Yes, the games are rightly all about legacy and getting the young involved in sport, but the older generation do have a role to play. As you highlight this is especially so as a 'Games Maker'. It seems to me obvious that because of life experience the older generation have the right skills to assist the public during.
And yes, I will be volunteering!
Keith
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Comment number 2.
At 14th Jul 2010, Jordan D wrote:It's the price you pay for consistently being told about these being the Games for the "Youth of tomorrow".
Why the double standards though? I didn't hear you complaining when they said the majority of torch bearers would be young people.
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