Volunteer Experience at London 2012: Neal Beaton

 

Name: Neal Beaton
Role: Administration Team
Area: Sport
No. of Days Volunteered: 20
Current Location: Currie (Edinburgh)
Q: Tell us about your role at the hockey venue at the Olympics Games in London?
A: “I was part of the hockey administration team, which consisted of 4 members. The role involved making sure all room keys/car keys and walkie-talkies were accounted for every day.
The role was very varied and there were lots of other things needing done if we ever got quiet. There were also some opportunities to help out in other areas such as Athlete Services so it was good to see how other areas worked.
We were also responsible for any printing/laminating that other Team Members needed, as there was only one colour printer this was a vital role. We also put together a daily newsletter with information from other volunteers or just picture specials if we had space to fill.”
Q: What previous experience did you have before the Olympics and how do you think it helped you to get selected as a volunteer? How did the experience compare to the other voluntary roles you do here in Scotland?
A: “In my current role at Scottish Hockey I am in charge of all the major international tournament matches hosted in Scotland so the experience I gained from these events definitely helped me being selected as a Games Maker.  At the Olympics it was very interesting to see the sheer size of the event and how many different elements worked together to make the hockey run.”
Q: How did your experiences compare to your expectations before you started your role?
A: “Before the Games I was not too sure what to expect and had quite low expectations, just very excited to be involved in the Olympic Games. But being able to work so close to the action was brilliant even if I didn’t get the opportunity to actually watch many matches other than the games I had tickets for. The lengths of some shifts were quite long but once you were working the time went past very quickly as there were always things to be done.
It was also great going around London as everyone seemed to be friendlier then usual and it was great sharing experiences about the Olympics.
It was also very nice to have 3 weeks of sunshine which is very rare in Scotland!”
Q: What are your expectations for the volunteers who will be working at the hockey venue during the Commonwealth Games and how you think it will compare to the Olympics?
A: “I think that the expectations should be the same as the Olympics – aiming to make hockey the best event to date. It will be exciting with the new hockey facility and a great chance to showcase the strengths of our many Scottish volunteers.”

Name: Neal Beaton

Role: Administration Team

Area: Sport

No. of Days Volunteered: 20

Current Location: Currie (Edinburgh)

 

Q: Tell us about your role at the hockey venue at the Olympics Games in London?

A: “I was part of the hockey administration team, which consisted of 4 members. The role involved making sure all room keys/car keys and walkie-talkies were accounted for every day.

The role was very varied and there were lots of other things needing done if we ever got quiet. There were also some opportunities to help out in other areas such as Athlete Services so it was good to see how other areas worked.

We were also responsible for any printing/laminating that other Team Members needed, as there was only one colour printer this was a vital role. We also put together a daily newsletter with information from other volunteers or just picture specials if we had space to fill.”

Q: What previous experience did you have before the Olympics and how do you think it helped you to get selected as a volunteer? How did the experience compare to the other voluntary roles you do here in Scotland?

A: “In my current role at Scottish Hockey I am in charge of all the major international tournament matches hosted in Scotland so the experience I gained from these events definitely helped me being selected as a Games Maker.  At the Olympics it was very interesting to see the sheer size of the event and how many different elements worked together to make the hockey run.”

Neal Beaton London 2012

Q: How did your experiences compare to your expectations before you started your role?

A: “Before the Games I was not too sure what to expect and had quite low expectations, just very excited to be involved in the Olympic Games. But being able to work so close to the action was brilliant even if I didn’t get the opportunity to actually watch many matches other than the games I had tickets for. The lengths of some shifts were quite long but once you were working the time went past very quickly as there were always things to be done.

It was also great going around London as everyone seemed to be friendlier then usual and it was great sharing experiences about the Olympics.

It was also very nice to have 3 weeks of sunshine which is very rare in Scotland!”

Q: What are your expectations for the volunteers who will be working at the hockey venue during the Commonwealth Games and how you think it will compare to the Olympics?

A: “I think that the expectations should be the same as the Olympics – aiming to make hockey the best event to date. It will be exciting with the new hockey facility and a great chance to showcase the strengths of our many Scottish volunteers.”

If you would like to share a similar experience to Neal then click here to apply to be a volunteer at Glasgow 2014

 

 

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