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Thousands of teenagers could be given the once-in-a-lifetime chance of working at the London Olympics after Games chiefs performed a U-turn to relax their tough age restrictions.
Following anger at a policy of recruiting only those aged 18 or over to the 70,000-strong volunteer workforce for the 2012 Games, organisers today said they would seek to fill a variety of roles with younger people.
Ball boys and girls for the Olympic tennis tournament at Wimbledon are believed to have been the only previous exceptions to the 18-plus rule. Other roles now likely to be open to under-18s include ball boys and girls for the nationwide Olympic football tournament.
The organising committee, Locog, said it would give further details this summer when it launches its programme to recruit unpaid helpers ranging from ticket inspectors and marshals to interpreters and drivers.
The Young Mayor of Newham, Kaycee de Belen, 16, wrote to Locog chairman Sebastian Coe urging him to reconsider — and deliver on pledges of a youth-friendly Games — after the Standard revealed the minimum age policy last week. Miss de Belen, who represents teenagers from the main Olympic borough, said today she was delighted.
“I know my friends will be excited at being given the chance of hands-on experience of the Games, whether it is working as marshals or using their language skills as interpreters. I'm grateful to the Standard for raising this issue as a potential obstacle to teenagers' involvement in the Games.”
The 18-plus policy was set by Locog to comply with vetting run by the new Independent Safeguarding Authority to protect children. Locog would have had to order checks on large numbers of adult volunteers if they were working in close contact with under-18s.
This could have proved impractical, as Locog must recruit and train 70,000 volunteers over the next two years in the largest peacetime mobilisation of a workforce in the UK. Now it is looking at roles for under-18s which would not require large numbers of adult co-volunteers to undergo the tests.
Only adults who work with 16- and 17-year-olds on a “frequent or intensive basis”, such as trainers and supervisors, need to be vetted.
The new rules, a recommendation of the 2006 Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act passed in the wake of the Soham murders, will be mandatory from November.
A Locog spokeswoman denied it was a U-turn and said: “We have set a general entry point at 18 years. However, in line with our vision to inspire young people, we are also looking at opportunities for those under 18 and will continue to develop this within the legal framework. We will happily share this work and take it forward with the Young Mayor of Newham and other individuals to ensure we deliver our vision.”
