Olympic bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton will be visiting the University of Birmingham today to encourage students to sign up to be ‘secret agents’ for the European Athletics Indoor Championships.
The event, which will be staged at the NIA from March 2-4 2007, needs an army of around 800 volunteers to help ensure that the event is a success.
The volunteer scheme has a ‘007’ theme because of the year in which the event will be staged and because the volunteers will be working behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running of the Championships.
100.7 Heart fm presenter Matt Wilkinson who will be signing up to be a volunteer himself and he will be sporting a tuxedo to help spread the 007 message.
Volunteer roles available are varied and will include drivers, access stewards, media centre helpers and team attaches. Although the launch is at the University of Birmingham, who are an official sponsor of the Championships, organisers are looking for people of all ages and from all walks of life.
The simplest way to apply to be a volunteer is to log onto the official event website www.birminghamathletics2007.com/volunteers and fill in the online application form or call 0121 464 2012 to request an application form by post or fax.n European Championship medallists Sam Ellis, Mo Farah and Becky Lyne are among five athletes who have been promoted to UK Athletics’ world class podium funding system.
Ellis was a surprise third over 800 metres when Gothenburg hosted the championships in August while Farah and Lyne were silver and bronze medallists in the 5,000m and 800m.
AAA champion Michael Rimmer, who finished eighth behind Ellis in Sweden, and marathon runner Mara Yamauchi, have also been included in the list of 37 athletes — five less than last year.
