NUI Galway, partners in the Volunteering Programme for the Volvo Ocean Race, is Ireland's leading University in the development of student volunteering initiatives. ALIVE, the University's volunteering programme, works with over 80 voluntary and community organisations, including Let's Do It Galway, to provide local, national and international volunteering opportunities for over 1500 NUI Galway students annually. Every year, NUI Galway volunteers contribute work which equates to that of 78 full time workers, at a value of more than €1.1 million, for the benefit of society.
About the Volunteers Programme
Volunteers for the Galway Volvo Ocean Race Stopover brings the benefit of many skilled individual's considerable experience in this field to this premier sporting event. The Volvo Ocean Race is the world's premier yacht race for professional racing crews. This is the 10th running of this ocean marathon series since it began life in 1973 as the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race and is one of the world's toughest sporting events.
The race started in Alicante in October 2008 and will span 37,000 nautical miles with Galway being the eight of eleven stopover Ports during the 9-month round the world race. Galway is the first Irish, and smallest ever host port, and as a city that knows how to throw a party, it will bring a unique flavour to the two week ‘stopover' from 23 May - 6 June 2009. Let's Do It Galway are planning a festival of water and land-based fun and festivities for all the family starting with the arrival of the 8 boat entries in the Volvo Ocean Race which includes Irelands ‘Green Dragon' on the weekend of 23 May.Volunteering Programme for the Volvo Ocean Race
Why Should I Get Involved?
Volunteers will be key to the success of the Galway Stopover and are the ‘face' of the event to visitors at the Race Village. Prominent throughout, they will be the central point of information and ensure the village is friendly, safe and accessible for all. This is a unique opportunity for people to play an integral role in the biggest international sporting Festival within Europe in 2009. Volunteers will be integral to the positive impact of this event which places Galway and Ireland centre stage to a two billion global audience. Volunteers will experience an international sporting event first-hand, build new skills and, most importantly have fun!
Several Volunteers will be needed in the two weeks before and after the event to assist with the village ‘set-up' and ‘breakdown' and throughout the two week festival. There are many exciting on-water and on-shore opportunities available to Volunteers during the Galway Stopover, where people will be assigned to information points, the media centre, race management, spectator services, and many other exciting events taking place throughout the race village.
Volunteers Training Programme
This is an event of International Standard for which we plan to deliver a volunteer programme to the same level. To this end Volunteers will be required to undergo specific training, which will introduce volunteers to a ‘day in the life' of the event, their team, and their specific role in the event. All volunteers will be required to attend at least two sessions, depending on the role to which they are assigned.
Benefits of Volunteering
• All volunteers working a full shift will be entitled to a meal voucher
• There will be an awards system in place for volunteers who complete all elements of the training programme and all shifts assigned during the stopover
• Access to events being held during the festival
• The official Galway Stopover Volunteer T-Shirt (unique to the volunteer programme)
Many thanks to all those who have signed up to the Volunteer Programme.
The programme is now full but those who have not been contacted about training will be placed on our Volunteer Programme waiting list.