Residents are being encouraged to be one of 13,000 volunteers for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Applications for the 'Commonwealth Collective' open today (Tuesday 1 June) as part of Volunteers' Week.

The Commonwealth Games is the largest sporting and cultural event ever to be held in the West Midlands and the biggest in the UK for a decade.

The majority of volunteer roles don't need any formal experience or qualifications, with full training provided. Roles include drivers, first aiders, meet and greeters, venue preparers, kit carriers, courtside assistants, and everything in between to help the games run smoothly.

The 13,000 volunteers will receive approximately 250,000 hours of training and complete one million hours of volunteer time.

Applicants must be aged 18 by 1 January 2022 and can select preferred areas of interest which include Event Services, Accreditation, Transport, Sport and Media. A young volunteer programme for 14-17 year olds will begin recruitment in the autumn.

25,000 shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview at the Volunteer Selection Centre between September and December 2021, which will be held at the Library of Birmingham.

Successful volunteers will be notified with a role offer from January 2022.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: "Warwickshire County Council is very proud that the location of the Birmingham 2022 road race will be Warwick and that, with our partners in the District Council, we will be hosting this incredible event during the games.

"Warwickshire has a long and rich history of people stepping up, volunteering and making a difference to their communities and I hope many of our residents will seize this incredible opportunity and join the commonwealth collective of volunteers who will contribute to making these Games outstanding."

John Crabtree, Birmingham 2022 chairman, added: "The pandemic has seen so many wonderful examples of people coming together to support their neighbours and each other and has served to underline what we have always known – that we are stronger together.

"We will now see this first-hand at Birmingham 2022 with the formidable Commonwealth Collective. Our volunteers will be part of something special and the Collective will celebrate the unique qualities of each and every one of them. We know that together the Collective will be a shining example of the best of the human spirit."

If you are interested in applying, please follow this link.