Podium Volunteering

'Podium' is the Further and Higher Education Unit for the 2012 Games. The Unit has a nationwide remit and has two major aims;

• to communicate both within the sector and with outside agencies about the potential for Universities and Colleges to support the successful staging and delivery of the 2012 Games and,
• to coordinate the development of activity within the sector that maximises the benefits of hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in this country, contributing to the building of a sustainable and wide reaching legacy.

SUNEE has secured funding from Podium to deliver a volunteer programme for school pupils with the intention of developing their leadership and event management skills which will hopefully lead to many of the students applying their skills at the 2012 Olympics and beyond.

Team Durham is currently working with a group of pupils from Durham Gilesgate Sports College. The programme incorporates both theoretical and practical content with students being led through the organisation process of an event from the production of a risk assessment to the design of marketing material. The students are then asked to apply their knowledge and assist in the organisation of Team Durham’s three large scale charity events. This programme is unique in that Durham students act as mentors to the school pupils throughout the process.

Podium 2012 Volunteers: Behind the Scenes at the Rugby Charity Challenge....

Last night saw the highly anticipated Charity Rugby Challenge between Durham and Nottingham, yet few know the smooth running of the event was orchestrated with the help of 14 Podium 2012 volunteers from Durham Gilesgate Sports College. Ticket sales, both in advance and on the door and presentation and layout to name a few areas of responsibility, the pupils had all areas covered as the evening drew in. With a little help from Katie Metcalfe, Emma Hall-Craggs, and Amanda Jones, Events Scholar for Team Durham, the team had a huge job on their hands. Backed as 'Podium 2012 Event Manager' by her peers, Sarah Wilson took time out from her work to give us her view: 'Actually doing it on the night is the best part. Organising and managing the event has been tough, and the responsibility has been hard but it has made me a stronger leader.'

Another volunteer was Dylan Scotter, who expressed how the experience would help him: 'I want to go into rugby coaching, and it has helped my man-management skills and made me a lot more confident. Organising an event for over four thousand people is a real test of my character.' Drew Hope was also aware of the size of the task they were about to complete: 'Its been an amazing experience - organising a rugby match infront of all these people. It makes me feel honoured to have been picked.' Lewis Newton could not wait to get the game started: 'I am looking forward to it. I have been working on transport management and ticket sales, a job which has seen my communication skills improve. The responsibility has helped me develop as an event manager, its going to be good.'

The pupils had all been picked to take part in a young apprentice course, and Glen Richardson, their P.E. teacher co-ordinator at Durham Gilesgate Sports College was full of praise: 'Its definately gone very smoothly. It is looking at developing leadership and organisational skills through sport, giving them different types of experience through sports events. There won't be any other group of pupils in the North East who have organised something for upwards of four thousand people.'