In the National Year of the Volunteer Manchester City Council organised a special celebration at the National Squash Centre at Sportcity on Friday 5 August to give recognition to the volunteers who helped deliver the XVII Commonwealth Games in 2002.

Volunteers were joined by Britain’s most successful Paralympian, Dame Tanni Grey Thompson, who unveiled a plaque dedicated to the amazing contribution made to the success of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

This was also an opportunity to launch the city council's Manchester Event Volunteers programme.

Three years on from the games there are now more than 2000 volunteers on the database contacted through a monthly newsletter with a range of volunteering opportunities.

People, from all walks of life, continue to give their time and energy to key events in the city and, for the second year running, to the London Triathlon which took place on August 6th 2005.

Cllr Richard Leese

“Manchester City Council is delighted to celebrates the tremendous contribution of the Commonwealth Games volunteers, we hoped for 10,000 and actually got 17,000 dedicated, hard working people. We could not have delivered such a successful Games without them. I am delighted that the volunteer programme has grown from strength to strength since 2002, by offering real real legacy benefits and training opportunities through the Manchester Event Volunteers programme.”

Anyone who wants to take part in volunteering is encouraged to contact the Manchester Event Volunteers who help to deliver around 120 events every year all over the city.