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Thanks to all the M2002 volunteers
During the last two weeks, over 10,000 volunteers have put in 1,260,000 hours work to make the Commonwealth Games a worldwide success story. Recruited and trained by Games sponsors Adecco, the uniformed volunteers have become a familiar sight across Manchester during the Games as they have helped to ensure everything goes smoothly - from carrying medals to winning athletes to checking spectators's tickets at venues.
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Amy Parrish-Rett, head of the volunteer programme, said: "Our volunteers have done us proud. Their generosity, enthusiasm and friendliness has shone through and they have set a fantastic example for others around the world to follow." And some of the volunteers' biggest fans are the athletes who have been competing for a different type of medal at the Games.
Table tennis player Pokannata Loatbne, from Kiribati, said: "The volunteers have become my new friends. They were very friendly and made my visit to Manchester very memorable."
John Robertson, EAD lawn bowler from Scotland, said: "The volunteers have been way above my expectations, they have been fantastic. They have been very helpful and always have a smile on their face."
I can vouch for the athletes response. On my way to the bus stop at the end of my last shift before the close of the Games, I was stopped by two Canadian athletes I'd never met before who just wanted to say, " Thank you. You volunteers have made these Games for us athletes."
Four of the 10,000 volunteers who will be receiving the medal include:
Chris Rimmer, of Royton, Oldham - while driving VIPs around the city, Chris has been collecting her thoughts and those of her passengers in a special book she bought in Australia 12 years ago. She will give the book to her grandson Samuel, aged five, who at the moment is too young to understand what the Games is about. When he's older, he'll have a personal souvenir of his nana's role at the Games.
Arthur Lynch, of Stockton-on-Tees - driver Arthur has been writing a diary about his Games experiences and is considering turning this into a book.
 My flat cap complete with pin collection |
Georgina Hulme, of Northwich,Cheshire - Georgina, who has Downs’ Syndrome, is a master gymnast and has been working at G-Mex in event service, venue for the gymnastics, judo and wrestling.
Julia Greene, of Manchester - worked in the Main Press Centre at the helpdesk dealing with enquiries from thousands of journalists from across the world. Julia is soon moving to Australia where she hopes to work at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
More than 24,000 people applied to be a volunteer and the Volunteer Centre matched over 10,500 volunteers to a huge range of roles. These include media and broadcast roles, helping with the protocol team, athlete, media and VIP accreditation, ticketing, transport, ushering and specialist services such as medicine, IT and sport. Every volunteer received a full set of uniform, produced by ASDA, including a distinctive flat cap.
Our youngest volunteers are 16 years old and our oldest volunteer, who is 87 years old, will be working at the City of Manchester Stadium during the rugby sevens. 53 per cent of applications received were from women and 47 per cent from men.
Volunteers come from far and wide - there are 25 from Australia, six from Canada, two from Brazil and France, and more from Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Russia and Saudi Arabia. In the UK, applications came from as far afield as the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and Scotland, with 80 per cent coming from the North West of England.
So once again, volunteers, you capped the Games off Crew 2002. So many people have commented on the high profile visibility maintained by you all and the helpfulness you displayed that has helped Manchester make its mark on the world over the last two weeks and before. Thank you all very much.