Birmingham 2022 CEO says Games volunteers have been ‘the stars of the show’

The volunteers at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have been the stars of the show, according to the organising committee’s chief executive.

More than 13,000 people have signed up to assist at the Games, and have supported in a huge variety of ways from offering directions and advice to high-fiving children with giant foam hands and dancing while raking the sand at the beach volleyball.

On the Games’ penultimate day, Birmingham 2022 chief executive Ian Reid paid tribute to the people who had stepped up.

“They are the stars of the show, alongside the athletes,” Reid told the PA news agency.

“They’re the constituent group that everybody talks about, and rightly so. Without their warm welcome, without their support, without engaging people around the region through the venues. It’s just a different vibe to a normal European or World Championships with that group and one thing we’re really proud about.

“Wherever you go you see the orange uniform and they’ve all been incredible in the amount of time some of them have given. They really enjoy it and I think it really does make it special.”