About the London Ambassadors Programme
London Ambassadors are a team of volunteers that will play an active role in delivering a fantastic welcome to the millions of visitors during the Olympics and Paralympics Games.
On 27 July 2010, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, launched the London Ambassadors programme and invited Londoners (and beyond!) to register their interest in the programme. By December almost 34,000 people had done this online.
What followed was an extensive application process. This involved completing an online application form. From this, 16,000 candidates were shortlisted and invited to various recruitment events around London. The recruitment events were held in partnership with 10 London Volunteer Centres between April and August 2011.
Offers were made to 8,300 successful Ambassadors on 29 October 2011, with a deadline to accept a place by 4 November 2011. All successful Ambassadors were required to complete an online security check (either a Standard CRB check or Basic Disclosure).
The objectives of the programme are to:
- Provide 8,000+ reliable volunteers and an exceptional volunteering service that meets the best practice and customer service possible for the 2012 Games in London
- Provide an outstanding visitor welcome across 43 sites in London. These sites comprise of:
- Visitor hot spots (e.g. Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden)
- Travel hubs (e.g. Heathrow airport and Liverpool Street Station)
- City live sites
- Olympic park
- Help visitors enjoy the real London – not just the famous landmarks, but also the hidden gems and local favourites that Londoners know best.
- Offer volunteers the chance to learn and utilise new skills, build self-confidence, achieve personal goals and gain a once in a lifetime experience
- To unite London through volunteering
- To encourage Ambassadors to volunteer once the Games have finished as part of a legacy programme
- To encourage tourists and visitors to return to London
There is no doubt that the London Ambassadors are making this great city the place to be during the summer of 2012.
