Schools across London to be matched with Team London Ambassadors
Unemployed young people to volunteer at UEFA Champions League Final
London Ambassadors to return to tourist sites across the capital this summer
Six months on from the London 2012 Games, the Mayor Boris Johnson has announced plans to build on the incredible work of the capital""s Olympic volunteers by boosting volunteering right across the city.
Unemployed young people will be recruited as volunteers at major sporting and cultural events, including the UEFA Champions League Final, whilst schools across the capital will be matched with a Team London Ambassador. The Mayor""s army of Ambassadors, who were the welcoming face of London during last summer""s Olympic and Paralympic Games, will also return to bring their magic to tourist sites across the capital.
The plans for Team London 2013 are made possible by funding of over £1m agreed between the Department of Media Culture and Sport and the GLA and include:
London Ambassadors to return to top visitor sites across the capital, which are set to include (subject to final agreements) Covent Garden, the Tower of London and Gatwick Airport. The volunteers will be on hand to help visitors and Londoners from 27th July –11th September.
Team London Ambassadors will be placed in primary and secondary schools in London to help inspire young people to volunteer, both in the school and in the local community. Research has shown that engaging pupils in volunteering increases their attendance and academic attainment.
10 per cent of the 300 Team London volunteers helping support the UEFA Champions League Final in May will be unemployed young people. This will be repeated for all the major sporting and cultural events for which Team London is providing volunteers. Through partnerships with the Mayor""s Team London hub in Tottenham and the East London Business Alliance, young people will be selected and be given Team London skills training. This will boost their CVs with valuable experience and life skills – as well as giving them access to a great experience. This is part of the 10 per cent pledge to ensure that a minimum of 10 per cent of Team London Event volunteers are between 18-25 years old and not currently in employment.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: ""We are providing young people with an excellent opportunity to boost their employment prospects with sound, on the ground work experience and training. Team London volunteers will soon be bursting through the doors of schools across the capital, I hope that this initiative will inspire young Londoners to get out and support their local communities.""
The Mayor""s Senior Advisor for Team London, Volunteering, Charities and Sponsorship, Veronica Wadley, said ""This is great news for the Olympic Legacy. Volunteering was one of the triumphs of London 2012 and just six months on, we are announcing a major programme - the Team London Ambassadors, Boris""s ""magenta magicians"" - will be back on the streets of London with their visitor welcome and supporting all major sporting and cultural events. But also starting to help our schools build volunteering into the lives of all school children. It""s great that the government and DCMS have got behind the programmes with hard cash. And remember, none of this would have been possible without Bloomberg and incredibly generous support of the Reuben family whose Foundation gave £2m to launch Team London in 2011.""
Culture Secretary Maria Miller said: ""The London 2012 volunteers made a huge impression at last summer""s Games. With their phenomenal energy and enthusiasm they gave a warm welcome to visitors and Londoners alike. Team London 2013 will keep the spirit of London 2012 alive.""
The Prime Minister""s Legacy Ambassador, Lord Coe, said: ""We enjoyed one of the greatest summers in living memory last summer with the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the world saw the very best of what Britain had to offer. The Games Makers and Team London Ambassadors were an unforgettable part of that. They were inspired by the millions of volunteers who day in day out support our communities and I am confident together they will deliver a clear legacy over the next ten years.""
Liam Kane, Chief Executive of the East London Business Alliance (ELBA) said: ""ELBA is delighted to be supporting the GLA on this initiative. Opportunities such as volunteering at the UEFA Champions League provide young people the chance to hone their soft skills, receive an insight into the world of work and gain confidence in working with others. One of the best things you can do for unemployed young people is make them more attractive to potential employers and this initiative does just that.""
Stephen Hawkins, School Ambassador said: ""Volunteering during the Games was an experience I""ll never forget. Working with schools in London is a great opportunity to inspire young people to also get involved in volunteering, developing their skills and experience as well as having a lot of fun!""
Team London is the Mayor""s volunteering programme for all Londoners, which aims to make volunteering easier and more rewarding. It follows the successful cities of service model originally set up in NYC by Mayor Bloomberg.
Team London recognises the work of everyday Londoners and the many voluntary groups and charities in the capital.