In September 1998, the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games published this booklet, Volunteers 2000, to provide general information about volunteering at the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games. In fourteen pages, the booklet describes the Games themselves and the proposed volunteer program, such as tasks, venues, rosters and training. At its centre is a 12-page application form for a potential volunteer to list his or her experience with specific sports or sports bodies, skills in health care or medicine, knowledge of languages other than English and preferred role at the Games. Collectively, these application forms helped to structure the volunteer workforce and ensured that individual skills and interests were maximized.

Fifty thousand volunteers were needed to provide skilled and unskilled services to support the Olympic and Paralympic Games - around 40,000 volunteers for the Olympic Games and around 10,000 for the Paralympic Games. Almost half of these volunteers would provide specialised services in sports, languages, first aid, media and technology.

SOCOG commenced its volunteer recruitment program in November 1997 when it informed organisations and sports bodies that it required volunteers with specialised skills. The second recruitment phase commenced in October 1998 with a request for 25,000 volunteers to fill general positions. This request came with the following conditions: potential volunteers would need to be prepared to work a minimum of ten days and up to eight hours per shift, to make their own way to Sydney, to arrange their own accommodation, and to make themselves available for training. In return, volunteers would receive a uniform, free travel to and from their venue, and free meals while on duty.

In just over two weeks, 41,000 people registered to volunteer - 35,000 applying for general positions and an additional 6,000 applying for work in specialised fields. An interview process allocated many applicants to skilled positions, while general training equipped all volunteers for work at the Games. The resulting volunteer force, titled Games Force 2000, served four phases of Games operations: preparations from 1 August and 1 September 2000; the arrival of athletes and officials and the start of athlete training; the Games themselves; and the departure of athletes and officials and closure of the Olympic Village.

This publication features bullet points, tables and notations that convey concise information about Games Force 2000. Its cover illustrates the Games Force logo - five Olympic and Paralympic athletes in the colours of the Olympic rings.

The booklet was published in September 1998 by the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. It is printed on 100 per cent recycled and Australian-made paper.

This publication is an example of those that SOCOG distributed in October 1998 to Games Force applicants. It reflects the second phase of volunteer recruitment.

This booklet was made for and owned by the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and was donated to the Powerhouse Museum in 2001.

Information Booklet, Volunteers 2000, paper, 14 pages plus a 12 page volunteer application form. The cover of the booklet is blue and features five images of athletes in action. There is a runner in orange, high jumper in yellow, wheelchair basketball player in green, gymnast in purple and a soccer player in red. White text "Information Booklet/ [Sydney 2000 logo]/ The Volunteers/ of the Sydney 2000/ Olympic and/ Paralympic Games/ [Paralympic Games logo]/ [Bonds logo]/ Presenting Partner/ Volunteers" In colours orange, yellow, blue, green "2000". Blue text on back: "Your Personal Information.."

made: 2000

2001/84/568

2000

300 mm