Calling all sports fans! If you want to be part of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Volunteer Programme is the best way to get involved. Helping out at London 2012 will give you the opportunity to get closer to your sporting heroes, develop your local community and experience the enjoyment of the Olympic Games in London direct. Who can volunteer for London 2012? Approximately 70,000 helpers are required to make the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games run well. Helpers from various communities and backgrounds will be recruited and trained to the best standards for London 2012. Previous helping out knowledge isn’t needed to become a London 2012 Olympic Volunteer, but applicants must: * Be 18 or above by 1 January 2012 * Commit to a minimum of ten days’ helping out at either the Olympic or Paralympic Games * Show up at at the least three London 2012 volunteer training sessions * Be eligible to volunteer in the UK * Pass security background inspections Helping out tasks during London 2012. London 2012 helpers will be given particular jobs, according to their expertise and training. There will be two types of helpers; specialist and generalist. Specialist volunteers will need existing skills or qualifications, like sport or medical training. Generalist volunteers will not have to have any expertise or qualifications, aside from the appropriate London 2012 Volunteer training. They may be given jobs in sections like: * Event services * Uniform distribution * Olympic Village operations How to become a London 2012 Olympic Volunteer: Applications to become a London 2012 Olympic Volunteer will open this year, but you can register your interest now. Register on the official London 2012 website to include your name on the volunteering list and receive frequent email updates about the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Volunteering before London 2012. If you live in one of the East London Host Boroughs near to the Olympic Park, you could be part of a pre-London 2012 helping out program called Changing Places. Changing Places has been created to aid local communities prepare their region for London 2012, and seeks to: * Inspire local people to enhance public areas for example parks and open spaces * Allow people to learn new passions and skills * Increase the quality of the local environment for the London 2012 Olympic Games and afterwards Alternatively, if you have office-based expertise you might want to register to become a Trailblazer Volunteer. This requires assisting the London 2012 Organising Committee to prepare for the Olympic and Paralympic Games by working one day per week in their London office. Volunteering after London 2012. It is hoped that long after the Olympic Games have concluded, the London 2012 Volunteer legacy will continue. This is a fun opportunity to be an element of a wide-reaching helping out network, bettering the lives of local communities all over the UK. Learn more about the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games