Christmas celebrations for London 2012 Volunteers

Over 60 London 2012 sports volunteers came together at a Christmas Party organised by Active Devon, at Sandy Park Exeter last week.

The party, for Devon Games Makers, Torch Bearers and Young Ambassadors, featured the opportunity to ask Olympic athlete and Torch Bearer Gorgs Geikie about her experiences at the Games and also to hear from Young Ambassadors from St Luke’s Science and Sports College about their experiences volunteering in the Olympic Garden.

Gorgs brought along her Olympic Torch and kindly donated her own Torch Bearers shirt which she had signed as a raffle prize. Other raffle prizes included tickets for fixtures from the likes of Exeter City, Exeter Chiefs and Plymouth Argyle.

The party gave many of the volunteers an opportunity to catch up for the first time since the Games and gave all present the chance to share their knowledge, enthusiasm and experience and to celebrate a fantastic year of volunteering in sport.

Games Makers and Torch Bearers from across the county inspired a generation of volunteers to sign up to the national Sport Makers scheme to support, deliver and organise grassroots sports. Volunteers at the party were so impressed with the scheme and keen to continue volunteering, that they all signed up as Sport Makers to continue the London 2012 volunteering legacy throughout the county.

Sport Maker Coordinator James Bogue said “it was a great evening with the volunteers sharing their own London 2012 stories and generally enjoying the party atmosphere. We were overwhelmed at how many signed up to Sport Makers programme on the night.

"I think this highlights just how rewarding and enjoyable sports volunteering can be and arranging the Christmas party gave Active Devon the opportunity to acknowledge the contribution these volunteers give in making sport happen in our community”.

Active Devon aims to inspire 900 people in Devon to get involved, with each of them spending at least 10 hours organising or leading sporting activities. Sport Makers are the people who directly make sport happen at a local level.

Some Sport Makers will organise sport for themselves and their friends, colleagues and neighbours. Others won’t be taking part themselves, but will be doing all those other things that make the sporting activity possible.

These Sport Makers will organise and support hundreds of thousands of new hours of grassroots sport across the country. While doing so, they will keep the Olympic and Paralympic values alive in every community.

If you would like more information, please contact Charlie Keene – charlie.keene@devon.gov.uk at Active Devon.