The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is looking for up to 70,000 passionate and dedicated volunteers for the London 2012 Games. They will make the difference between a good and a great Games for thousands of athletes, media and spectators alike.

So far, over 100,000 people across the country have registered their interest.

There is now one week left in the six week application window for the London 2012 volunteering programme so interested applicants are urged to apply now to avoid missing out on their last chance to be a Games Maker. We would welcome your support in promoting this across your local community using your existing communications channels, like your Council website, to ensure your interested residents know they need to apply now.

Full details of the Games Maker programme, including eligibility criteria, benefits of getting involved and the application form, can be found at www.london2012.com/volunteering.

Don’t forget that the Games Maker scheme is not the only opportunity for volunteers to be part of the 2012 Games. A London Ambassadors scheme has been launched which will recruit volunteers to welcome visitors to London during the Games. Volunteers are being encouraged to register for the scheme now and the application period will run from the 1st January – 14th February 2011. For further information visit: http://www.londonambassadors.org.uk/

Local authorities and their partners outside London will also be developing their own volunteering schemes. The Government Olympic Executive (GOE) has developed the UK Volunteering Toolkit for local authorities outside London. The toolkit provides a step-by-step guide to assist local authorities and their partners in establishing local volunteering schemes for the Games. GOE is asking local schemes to submit indicative volunteer numbers by 15th November so that they can gain a sense of scale across the UK and to inform discussions about uniforms. For more information and to download a copy of the toolkit please visit: http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/core/page.do?pageId=13826642.