To Be Sport changemakers and IOC young leaders (© To Be Sport)
As the start of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 approaches, organisers are delighted to welcome the ‘Changemakers Programme’, a ground-breaking volunteer partnership between Glasgow Life and To Be Sport, that aims to create pathways for young people from underserved communities to become involved in major events.
Launched in 2023, the ‘Changemakers Programme’ is led by IOC Young Leader, Corentin Caporal, and will be trialled for the first time in Glasgow, as organisers aim to open up volunteering opportunities to new audiences.
With a strong volunteer community already existing within Glasgow, organisers were spoiled for choice when it came to recruitment with over 2000 initial applications coming from Scotland and further afield. It was therefore important to gain the insight and expertise of To Be Sport to ensure there was a clear pathway for all individuals keen to take part in the event, regardless of their background or economic situation.
Working with local organisations within the most underserved areas of the city, the programme has recruited four young individuals; Kelvin, Megan, Mohamed and Eleanor, via an adapted selection process including workshops and activities, with members of To Be Sport supporting the applicants throughout their journey and helping them to complete an application to successfully obtain a volunteer position.
With all four changemakers being allocated a role specific to their skillset Eleanor and Mohamed will join the training teams, while Kelvin will act as an athlete steward and Megan as a medal bearer, meaning all four will get to be up close with the world’s best athletes over the course of the three-day event.
This is the first time the Changemakers Programme will be trialled at an event of this size, and the Local Organising Committee is delighted to be able to pilot the scheme.
Billy Garrett, Director of Tourism, Culture and Events at Glasgow Life and joint Chair of the Local Organising Committee, said, “We are delighted to be working with To Be Sport to make volunteering opportunities more accessible to young people.
“Scotland’s enthusiastic volunteer community always rises to the occasion when an event of this size comes to the city, however, with our pool of fantastic volunteers now at an all-time high, it was vital to ensure everyone was given an equal chance to apply.
“The Changemakers Programme gives young individuals a fantastic opportunity to become involved in the championships and we can’t wait to see how the four changemakers get on when the event starts next week!”
Corentin Caporal, Founder of To Be Sport and IOC Young Leader added: We are extremely grateful that Glasgow Life is part of our journey to make sports event volunteering more inclusive and accessible.”
“The World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 marks an important step for To Be Sport, but more importantly sports event volunteering as a whole, as we are delivering the first ever adapted and fully funded sports event volunteering programme.
“This experience will have a big impact on the lives of Megan, Mohamed, Eleanor and Kelvin, but will also open the door to more young people in the future.”
