The Legacy Corporation is looking to build on the success of volunteering last year by recruiting 600 Park ‘Champions’. Roles will include giving directions to visitors in and around the Park and providing support to those with mobility problems.

Anyone wishing to volunteer should log on to www.nordinarypark.co.uk, where details can be found on our home page.

Celebrations to coincide with the phased re-opening of the Park from July 2013 to spring 2014 include bringing world-class sport and international artists back to the iconic venues (see Notes to Editors).

The summer line up, which will include appearances from 100m Olympic Gold Medallist Usain Bolt and Kasabian among others, will give local residents and visitors an opportunity to experience what the Park will have to offer when it opens in full in spring 2014.

Paul Brickell, the Legacy  Corporation’s executive director of regeneration and community partnerships, said:

“We are looking to recapture the fantastic atmosphere generated by volunteers across London last year as we celebrate the phased re-opening of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. What’s important to remember is that we need only 600 volunteers – so we are not looking for large numbers and I expect many will be from the host boroughs.”

Park Champions will be given a uniform that will include accessories such as a bag, drinks bottle and clothing provided and branded with Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

ActiveNewham is working with The Legacy Corporation to deliver the volunteering programme.

It is expected that there will be further volunteering opportunities once the Park re-opens fully in spring 2014.

Progress

Since taking control of the Park in November 2012, the Legacy Corporation has been undertaking a huge programme of work to transform the site and its iconic venues ready for public use.

The £292m construction programme, one of the largest in Europe, is on track to deliver Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – a new part of London to live, work, visit and invest. The Park will soon begin to re-open in phases as works reach completion, starting with the official opening of North Park in July 2013.

This will include the Copper Box, London’s third largest arena at 2,743m2 (equivalent to 12 badminton courts), and the Unity Kitchen Café at Timber Lodge, a new community space with a stunning new playground and open spaces for visitors to walk, play and enjoy.

Over the past six months, the Legacy Corporation has been getting its programme ‘Clear, Connect, Complete’ well underway to transform the Park from the Olympic event site to a new part of London. The programme is clearing Games-time overlay including temporary venues, walkways and stands, connecting the Park to the surrounding area with new roads and pathways and completing the Park’s venues and parkland to their legacy designs, ready to open its doors in full in spring 2014.

Just as the Games were delivered across 10 years from bid to closing ceremony, the delivery of legacy is a 10 year programme and the works underway now will deliver a lasting legacy for east London. Construction on the Park has already brought over a thousand jobs to the area, 44 per cent of workers are from the local area and there are 60 apprentices on site – the highest number on any London site.

In just a few months, the first families will also begin moving into 2,818 homes, including 1,379 affordable homes on the site of the Athletes’ Village, to be known as East Village. Chobham Academy will also open this September, with a further three schools planned to be built on the Park over the coming years.