Council staff help to ensure Games run smoothly
An army of volunteers from a city have helped to make their mark on the Commonwealth Games.
Wolverhampton Council has pulled out all the stops to support the Games and volunteers are undertaking a huge variety of roles from looking after visiting dignitaries to singing in concerts to weighing the weightlifters.
Councillor Simon Bennett, who has a background in IT, is the man responsible for correctly recording athletes’ weights before they compete at the NEC in weightlifting and powerlifting events.
He also has to record what weights they are to attempt and ensure it is displayed accurately for judges, before competitors make their attempt.
He said: "It is quite a responsibility, but luckily not one that’s fazes me.
"I think some of the other volunteers were surprised we were given such a crucial task, but I relish the chance to be right in the thick of it where the action is and be able to soak up the atmosphere.
"Unlike other events, medals are given out at every round in the weightlifting, so I’ll get to see the whole event start to finish and importantly be able to witness the medal ceremonies."
Councillor Bennett’s journey to taking part started a year ago when he applied and had to go through a detailed selection process.
Prior to his political career, Councillor Bennett’s ten-year professional background in IT made him a natural to work with the games Technology team working with official partner and timekeeper, Longines.
He said: "I feel very honoured to be part of such an important event for the region and hope I can use my skills to good effect.
"It’s just nice to have the chance to contribute and hopefully play a part in making the games something really special, which will be talked about for years to come."
Other council colleagues giving up their time to ensure the Games runs smoothly include Elena Williams, who sang in a concert as part of the Games festival, and fleet manager Jayne Jarvis is ferrying athletes around the sites, while Martha Cummings is involved in ensuring people have the right accreditation.
