THE volunteers who took part in Glasgow's 2014 Commonwealth Games have since experienced benefits including increased confidence, more social networks and a better awareness of other volunteering opportunities, according to a new study.
They also felt that the city's reputation had partly been enhanced by their role in showcasing Glasgow to a global audience.
The findings emerge in a new research report by Leeds Beckett University and commissioned by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health.
A record 50,811 Scots applied to join the army of volunteers - known as Clyde-siders - at the 2014 Games.
Professor Jane South, a national expert in volunteering, active citizenship and community health, based at Leeds Beckett, said: “Our research showed that volunteers at mega-sporting events tend to be motivated by an interest in the sport or a desire to contribute to the event, more so than factors such as career progression.
"Specifically, the Clyde-siders and non-Clyde-siders in our study explained that the opportunity to participate in a unique and prestigious event that was unlikely to return to Scotland during their lifetime was a motivating factor to apply for the volunteer role."
The researchers found that although Clyde-siders felt encouraged to continue to volunteer in the future, there was no evidence in their wider research to show an actual increase in volunteering activity post-event.
Dr James Woodall, Reader in Health Promotion at Leeds Beckett and project leader, said: “Volunteering at mega-sporting events can lead to a range of individual outcomes contributing to a boost in health and wellbeing.
"Volunteers told us about how taking part in the Glasgow Games had been a positive experience and led to a range of benefits including growth of social networks, meeting people from different social and cultural backgrounds; increased confidence, greater awareness of other volunteering opportunities, and the development of new skills for those who were unemployed or in education which they felt would help them in applying for future jobs.
“Alongside increased pride in the city was a greater sense of community spirit and cohesion, both during the Games and for a period of time after the Games.
"Some participants also suggested that volunteers had contributed positively to the economic impact on the city as a result of hosting the Games - the positive way in which the volunteers had represented the city and made visitors welcome was expressed as being important for stimulating future tourism.”
The sense of pride and feeling part of a collective experience was felt not only by the Clyde-siders working at the event but also the non-Clyde-siders, who reported feeling part of the friendly atmosphere generated by hosting the Games.
The report's recommendations for future mega-sporting events include providing follow-up volunteering opportunities to ensure that the health and social impacts continue for participants.
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