Training of Vancouver 2010 volunteers: a legacy opportunity?

Abstract

The successful delivery of a mega-sport event depends upon a volunteer workforce. It is often asserted that the training of event volunteers contributes to the creation of a social legacy via the transfer of learning to other volunteer contexts; thereby creating an enhanced volunteer pool after the event that will support the tourism and events industries in the host communities. This article reflects upon the reality of that assertion and argues that in order to achieve legacy both training and development strategies are required. As such an analysis of data collected at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games around training and legacy is discussed. A Legacy Training and Development Model is offered and subsequently, applied to the case study. The article concludes by suggesting that training at Vancouver 2010 was a missed opportunity in achieving legacy.

Post-Event Volunteering Legacy: Did the London 2012 Games Induce a Sustainable Volunteer Engagement?

“…Thus, even if there is a desire to continue volunteering after a mega-event experience, this does not necessarily mean that it can be converted into long-term volunteering in sports, if the necessary support structures and promotion opportunities are not in place [31]. To this end, in [9], the importance of establishing relationships between event organisers and the wider volunteering infrastructure in the host city is emphasised in order to plan for and capitalise on a volunteering legacy. In their study on the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the authors of [9] concluded 'that had there been more communication about planning for legacy before the Games between VANOC and the community groups represented .…”

“…The studies on motivations suggest that the chance of being involved in a unique event and being associated with the Olympic movement are key motivating factors in volunteering for the Olympic Games [14][15][16][17]. Recent research interest on the volunteer legacy of the event has started to emerge, examining how event volunteers could be encouraged to sustain their efforts and volunteer again at similar events or in the community after the Games (e.g., [9,18,19]). However, there is a paucity of research on the social legacies such as volunteering for the Olympic Games compared to other legacy aspects that are more tangible, such as urban regeneration and infrastructure.…”

“…Similarly, in London 2012, 240,000 applications were received by LOCOG, the organising committee of the London 2012 Games, to be one of the selected 70,000 Games Makers of the event [12]. Previous research efforts on Olympic volunteers have predominantly focused on their motivations, profiles, job satisfaction, experiences, and future intentions (see for example [13]), rather than the possibility and realisation of transferring volunteer efforts and skills across other activities post-event that may account for legacy [9]. The studies on motivations suggest that the chance of being involved in a unique event and being associated with the Olympic movement are key motivating factors in volunteering for the Olympic Games [14][15][16][17].…”

“…Indeed, the Conservative-majority coalition government in the UK was actively engaged prior to the event in the rhetoric that the Games would inspire an increase in sport participation and an enhanced volunteering culture after the event [3]. However, evidence suggests that there was a lack of precise objectives on how the legacy aspiration to 'inspire a generation' to take part in sport and volunteering [8] could be realised following the Games [9]. This paper reflects upon whether a volunteer legacy was realised by exploring the opinions of a small pool of volunteers at the London 2012 Olympic Games.…”

Generation Z’s Sustainable Volunteering: Motivations, Attitudes and Job Performance

“…Researchers addressed this issue as a significant problem specific to not only nonorganizations and community sectors and also attempted to identify important factors contributing to volunteering retention [2]. In a context consistent with this phenomenon, recent research interest on volunteering has examined how volunteers could be motivated to sustain their efforts [3]. Nichols and Ralston (2014) asserted volunteering motivation enable individuals to sustain their enthusiasm and intent to volunteer in a different context [4].…”