The Volunteers are the heart and soul of the Games. By participating in various sectors, the volunteers will give this unique celebration vitality.
Programme Description

Recruitment
The ATHENS 2004 Volunteers Programme consists of recruitment, retention, selection, training and recognition of the 45,000 volunteers that will be employed for the Games. The recruitment stage for the volunteers has now been completed.

The aim of this stage was to recruit volunteers from all walks of life in Greece and around the world in order to create a valuable human force with expertise, experience and sensitivity to the Olympic ideals; a force ready to contribute to the projection of the Games around the globe while also playing a key role in their success.

On 30 January 2001 the Volunteers Division started its raising awareness and information campaign with a number of events in Athens and the rest of Greece to inform the public about the programme. At the same time an information campaign was launched by the Organising Committee on an international scale with a focus on countries where Greeks abroad live. A year later, on 30 January 2002, the first Official Volunteer Application was circulated.

The information campaign involved cooperation from various organisations such as sports clubs, universities, volunteer agencies, governmental and non govermental organisations. Presentations, speeches, announcements, articles, news items in the Press, events, interviews and other activities took place as part of the campaign.

Selection / Placement
The selection and placement procedure of volunteers in appropriate positions is carried out through personal interviews conducted by specialised staff who brief volunteers about volunteer activities and the requirements of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. An offer for Volunteer Employment is then made and the candidate volunteer is invited to accept the work sector and dates of recruitment.

Selection interviews were started in January 2003 to meet, initially, the requirements of the Sport Events and then those of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Besides Attica, interviews were held in the other Olympic cities and Cyprus. A special questionnaire was forwarded to candidate volunteers living abroad who could not attend the interview in person.

Training
The Training programme aims to equip Volunteers for the task ahead, in other words to provide them with the information required for their participation in the Games. Training consists of:

General information on Volunteerism and the Olympic Movement and historical data of the Games.
Familiarisation with the venue for which they are being recruited.
Special Training to provide volunteers with information about how to carry out their duties successfully.
The training seminars will take place in Athens and in other Olympic cities.

Participation
At Games-time Volunteerism will coordinate volunteer particpation centrally and also at the various competition and non-competition venues. With the presence of a Volunteers Manager at each Venue, the Volunteers Programme will manage the body of volunteers, find replacements where required or cater for unforeseen requirements to ensure that volunteers are easily integrated with staff at each venue.

Recognition
Recognition of the work and contribution of volunteers is an important part of the volunteer programme. The aim is both to acknowledge the work of Olympic volunteers, whose contributions and activities are key elements in the success of the event, and to leave a legacy for future generations. There will be a special ceremony to this effect at every venue after the appropriate sport. Similar events are being held for the 2003-2004 Sport Events.