The World Friendship Games 2024 Volunteer Programme was launched
The presentation of the Volunteer Programme of the Games took place at the International Forum of Civil Participation #WeAreTogether on a symbolic date: 5 December is traditionally celebrated in Russia as Volunteer Day. The participants discussed all the major international events that will take place in Russia in 2024 that cannot be accomplished without the help of the volunteer movement right there on stage. In addition to the World Friendship Games 2024, there are also the Games of the Future, the Russia International Exhibition and Forum, and the World Youth Festival.
The World Friendship Games 2024 will be the largest event in terms of the number of volunteers involved in the event. For this tournament, the Organising Committee plans to recruit and train about 7,500 people: 5,500 to be employed in Moscow and another 2,000 in Ekaterinburg. Candidates must be at least 18 years old at the time of the Games; they must be able to go on a minimum of 6 shifts between 15 and 29 September 2024. English language skills are important for some functional areas.
The preliminary reception of applications from candidates has already started on the website volunteers.games2024.ru.
To successfully implement the programme to recruit and train volunteers for the World Friendship Games 2024, the Organising Committee concluded agreements with the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs and the Association of Volunteer Centres of Russia. They will help run a competition amongst volunteer organisations to select operators. The selection stage itself will start in April and will last until the end of August, when volunteers will be trained and prepared to participate in the tournament.
Friendship Games 2024 volunteers will be involved in 20 functional areas such as sport, timing and scoring, ceremonies, venue management and more.
“It seems to us that all the functions where volunteers are going to work are unique and very interesting in their own way. All of them are closely related either to the athletes participating in the tournament or to the organisation of the competition. This is a historic opportunity to participate in a new one-of-a-kind event,” said Alexey Sorokin, CEO of ANO “Organising Committee “World Friendship Games”.
All volunteers during the tournament will be provided with the World Friendship Games uniform, meals during their shifts, free travel in the host cities and the opportunity to participate in the Opening and Closing ceremonies. The Organising Committee will provide accommodation for non-resident volunteers and visa support for foreign volunteers.
The ambassador of the Volunteer Programme is to be responsible for keeping a positive vibe in the team of volunteers of the World Friendship Games 2024. The ambassador is the popular singer Klava Koka, who was introduced during the presentation and was met with a standing ovation.
“When I was at school and then at university, I was also a volunteer, I took an active part,” Klava Koka recalled from the stage. “I think volunteers are distinguished by their vitality, willingness to unite and do something cool and useful. Volunteers are born leaders, they have an inner core that helps them to take an active position and come to the rescue. For me, this transformation from volunteer to volunteer ambassador is very cool! I’ll carry that title with pride!”
