London 2012...

By Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter

The mobilisation of so many volunteers has been hailed as a “moment in history” that could have a lasting effect on society if the Government acts now to sustain the momentum built up by the Games.

The 70,000 volunteer “Games Makers” who manned the Olympic venues were credited by Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, with changing the image of Britain with their “enormous smiles” and their infectious enthusiasm was said to have kick-started the drive to recruit more volunteers.

The Duke of Cambridge is among those urging the nation to capitalise on the “incredible summer of sport” by getting involved in local clubs.

Evidence of the effect that the Games has had on volunteering, which has been promoted by The Daily Telegraph’s Keep the Flame Alive campaign, came yesterday with the release of the figures for new volunteers.

Since the Games began on July 27, more than 100,000 people have pledged at least an hour of their time through the Jubilee Hour initiative, which was set up to coincide with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Boris Johnson announced yesterday that another 3,500 people had signed up to help at sports clubs in schools, and Volunteering England, which promotes and coordinates volunteering, said it was confident that tens of thousands of Games Makers would continue as volunteers.

Justin Davis Smith, its chief executive, said: “The way the world has responded to the volunteers brings home to policymakers what a great force for good volunteers can be.

“As a result of their amazing experience, most of the volunteers themselves are likely to volunteer again.

“This could be a moment in history for volunteering in our society, but now we need to focus on how to give other volunteers the kind of support our Olympics and Paralympics volunteers enjoyed.”

The Games Makers were given the biggest cheer of Sunday night’s closing ceremony when six of them were given flowers by Olympic athletes.

They could be in the running for Team of the Year in the BBC’s annual Sports Personality of the Year Awards after Pete Wishart MP began a campaign to recognise the “ultimate stars” of the Games.

This weekend 5,000 sports events will take place under the Join In campaign, aimed at encouraging people to take up sport and volunteer. David Moorcroft, the former 5,000m world record holder and director of sport for Join In, said it would be “a great opportunity to harness the enthusiasm generated by the Games, for sport and for volunteering, and channel it through local sports clubs”.

The Duke of Cambridge said: “The incredible achievements of Team GB would not have been possible without the work that goes on at sports clubs up and down the country to forge the athletes of the future.

“Join In UK will provide thousands of people a chance to volunteer in their local club or even try — for free — a sport that may be new to them.

“Harry and I . . . encourage as many people as possible to take advantage of this incredible summer of sport by joining in.”

More than 1.2 million people have signed up so far this year to give an hour of their time under the Jubilee Hour campaign.

Jonathan Haward, a goodwill ambassador for the Jubilee Hour, said: “In the last fortnight another 100,000 people have signed up to volunteer. The Olympics have generated a lot of interest, and the whole idea of volunteering is out there.

“After Olympic fever is over there is going to be a powerful swing towards volunteering.”  Telegraph