First Wave of GC2018 Volunteers to Share the Dream

The first round of GC2018 volunteer offers commence today with 15,000 applicants set to find out over the coming months if they’ll play a role in shaping the Games.

On hand at the Volunteer Selection Centre were the first four excited Gold Coast locals, Donelle Coulter, Paul Brinley, Declan Roe and Adekemi Omomo to accept their offers.

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) Chairman, Peter Beattie AC, said welcoming the first volunteers was a key milestone for the Games.

"We really couldn’t deliver this Games without volunteer power and I congratulate the first four volunteers on their selection. To receive 47,000 applications was fantastic and really demonstrates the community spirit behind this event.

"While the quality of applications has been really high, we only require 15,000 volunteers and we are methodically working through the selection process.

"For all applicants it’s important to remember this isn’t a first come, first served process and that the selection process continues with interviews ongoing until September.

"While not everyone will be allocated a volunteering role, there are other ways to be involved in the Games by attending as a spectator or participating in Festival 2018, the free arts and culture activities that will occur when the Games are on," Mr Beattie said.

Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones today welcomed the Games’ newest recruits at the Volunteer Selection Centre on the Gold Coast where, over the coming months, thousands of offers will be made to people keen to sign up as a Games volunteer.

"Our volunteers are the heart and soul of the community and their contribution to the Games is another important legacy for the Gold Coast and Queensland.

"It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it’s great to see so many people offering to be part of the Games.

"The success of most major events around the world is due in no small part to the tireless efforts of volunteers working behind the scenes.

"Our volunteers will be able to look back on the Games and know that their hard work helped achieve one of Queensland’s greatest sporting success stories," Ms Jones said.

TAFE Queensland Chief Executive Officer, Jodi Schmidt said that today’s announcement is a special milestone for both the newly announced volunteers and TAFE Queensland.

"Today marks the next steps of the Games journey for both TAFE Queensland and these four volunteers who will now receive life-long transferrable skills from Queensland’s largest vocational education and training provider.

"Volunteers will be equipped with the valuable skills and knowledge to not only successfully perform their roles at the Games, but also to contribute to their communities long after the Games have finished.

"We will deliver innovative and sustainable training to give Queenslanders the skills to do extraordinary things and bring the Games to life," Ms Schmidt said.

GOLDOC Chief Executive Officer, Mark Peters thanked the GC2018 volunteer sponsors TAFE Queensland, Seek Volunteer and Hard Yakka for their work with GOLDOC to promote the volunteer program, train volunteers and dress volunteers.

"With only 281 days until the eyes of the Commonwealth are on the Gold Coast the entire organisation is firmly focused on delivering a great Games. Our relationships with sponsors are critical to Games delivery and none more so than the volunteer program.

"With the work of TAFE Queensland to train volunteers and Hard Yakka to dress volunteers, these partnerships will help deliver a really great Games.

"Volunteers are crucial to GC2018 delivering first class customer service to athletes, officials, spectators and visitors to the Gold Coast and Games venues.

"The interview process commenced in May and there have been over 8,000 interviews taken place so far.

"Due to the large number of applications this is a rolling process and applicants should keep an eye on the volunteer portal over the coming months for up to date information," Mr Peters said.

VOLUNTEERS - BY THE NUMBERS

· GC2018 runs from 4-15 April 2018

· More than 47,000 applications received

· 91% of applications came from Australia

· 76% of Australian applications came from Queensland

· Applications received from 117 countries

· 99% of applications from Commonwealth countries

· Youngest applicants are 16

· Oldest applicants 91 (2)

· 15,000 volunteers required during the Games

· 18 competition venues from Cairns to Coolangatta

· 24 volunteer venues including the Commonwealth Games Village and Games Family Hotel

· 360,000 hours of volunteer training by TAFE Queensland

· 150,000 meals for volunteers

· 18 sports plus seven integrated para-sports

· One million volunteer hours required

· Over 50 medical facilities across Games venues

· 84,000 medical volunteer hours

· Over 200,000 pieces of individual clothing

· Uniforms provided by Hard Yakka

· More than 1,500 medical volunteers

· 11 days of competition

· Up to 1.5 million spectators

· 6,600 athletes and team officials

· 70 nations and territories will compete in the Games

· Promote the Gold Coast to a 1.5 billion cumulative global TV audience

· 1,000 hours of sport

For more information, please contact:

Cobey Moore

Tel: +61 447 109 772

Email: media@goldoc.com

Communication and Media Lead

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC)

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