A couple of weekends’ ago, I was invited to join Crown Business Communications who have been organising the Games Makers orientation programmes to see first-hand what the Games Makers journey has been to date and will be going forward.

The Games makers are the 70,000 volunteers who will be the face of the games and where roles vary from helping athletes in the village, collecting and distributing results to officials and the Press at the various venues to welcoming spectators into the park and other venues.

The orientation event was a great opportunity for the volunteers to hear about the Olympics and the important roles they will play to make the London 2012 Games a success. A variety of people such as Paul Deighton (Chief Executive of LOCOG), Chris Holmes (Britain’s most successful Paralympic swimmer and now Director of Paralympic Integration) and the very funny Eddie Izzard all talked about why the volunteers were vital to the Games and about the training they had ahead of them leading up to the Games and the support they would receive during.

After the event I caught up with some of the Games Makers, they were all so excited to be “the face of the Olympics” and varied in a range of people from the Plymouth Argyle FC Mascot, retired teachers, students, doctors, chefs and so on.

The one common theme throughout though was the excitement and buzz about the Games and the part they will play in making it a great success.

Are you one of the London 2012 Games Makers? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

London 2012 organisers have opened volunteer recruitment to the public today, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to become involved in the world’s biggest sporting event.

Applications for volunteers, who will be known as Games Makers, opened at 8am today and continue until midnight on 27 October – so there’s only six weeks to apply.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said: “Volunteering with us will be challenging but the rewards are life-long as our London 2012 Games Makers will literally make history happen.

“We want the best team players in the UK to apply, people who show the same qualities as our athletes including dedication, focus and grace under pressure.

“Whatever your role, you will help welcome the world and show what the UK has to offer. If you have what it takes to be a London Games Maker, apply now!”

There are 70,000 volunteer roles to fill for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with two thirds of the roles generalist volunteer positions. These include welcome desk staff, ticket checkers, costume assistants, drivers and event stewards.

The remaining roles are specialist roles comprising volunteers skilled in medical, press operations and anti-doping sectors -applications are also still open for these roles.

For more information and to apply visit www.london2012.com/volunteering.

Find out why Eddie Izzard thinks becoming a Games Maker is an opportunity not to be missed below:

Former Welsh rugby captain, Gareth Thomas – who recently announced that he was gay – was given the first badge Pride Pin Badge at the unveiling ceremony this week.

Thomas said: “It’s great to see LOCOG reaching out to all communities and making sure that London 2012 is a Games for everyone, in which every community feels included.

“I hope that everyone buys and wears their pin badge with pride and helps us achieve greater inclusion in sport.”

Paul Deighton, Chief Executive of LOCOG added:

“Our vision is as bold as it is simple – to use the power of the Games to inspire change. We want to reach out to all parts of the community and connect them with London 2012.”

The summer of 2012 is set to be one big celebration with WorldPride 2012 also taking place in the city.

Further badges celebrating different sections of the community will be launched within the next 12 months celebrating London’s diversity – a major part of the successful Olympic bid.

The pride pin badges will be on sale tomorrow at London Pride and also from the London 2012 online shop.

Hold on to your 2012 hats, people: today marks just 1,000 days to go to the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

If we fast-forward to 29 August 2012, the world’s best Paralympians will be in town, competing across 20 sports and disciplines. It doesn’t seem that far away!

Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), says, “In 1,000 days’ time, we’ll be welcoming the Paralympic Games home and we will deliver a spectacular showcase for Paralympic sport.

“This is a golden opportunity to raise awareness of Paralympic sport, challenge stereotypes about disability and secure a legacy which will have every disabled child getting greater access to sport.”

Colin Chaytors, the chief executive of the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS), points out that in Britain, we have many talented althetes with disabilities: “Behind those athletes are coaches, volunteers and other developmental support who share the same passion as us to continue the good work.

“EFDS are dedicated to working with all parties over the next two years to ensure we not only make the 2012 Paralympics a success for Britain, but create a long lasting legacy for all disabled people in sport.”

We love the fact that there’s lots of concentration on the legacy aspect of the Paralympics today.

But we’re also enthused by a second string to today’s announcement. Coe says, “As the clock counts down to 2012, there is still time to get involved in the Paralympic Games, and still time to become part of the British team.”

Yes, if you’ve got an impairment and think you’ve got what it takes to compete in 2012, today’s the day to get in touch!

It can take athletes up to eight years to reach an Olympics, but today we’ve learnt Paralympic hopefuls can be ready to compete at an elite level much sooner. Read more about the Talent 2012 programme here.

Have you got plans for the next 1,000 days? Let us know in the comments below, tell twitter @london2012, or visit www.london2012.com.

On Saturday, there are just 1,000 days to go until the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has released details suggesting more than 5 million people are now “involved” in the Games in one way or other.

So, if you’re reading this, chances are you’re either one of them, or you know someone who is!

Whether it’s the Inspire Programme looking at community projects, the Get Set programme in schools, the Cultural Olympiad, School Sports Week, or your company is working on the Games, it’s becoming clear than 2012 is having quite an impact.

So, tomorrow is time for London to celebrate this involvement in different ways:

• A Games-themed photography exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, called The Road to 2012, featuring portraits of people working towards the Games
• A spectacular firework display from the BT Tower tomorrow night, including a huge LED banner count-down message on top of the tower. (Watch this from London’s hilltops – Primrose Hill, Parliament Hill or on the BBC Lottery programme from 8.45pm)
• The London 2012 Corgi-made replica London bus goes on sale tomorrow in Hamley’s
• The limited edition adidas t-shirt, with pictures representing all the Olympic sports is available to buy here
• The Royal Mail’s 2012 stamps go on sale

With just 1,000 days to go, all eyes are on the next step: the aquatic centre’s roof is due to be finished before the end of the year…

But, alongside London 2012, we want to know what you’re going to achieve in the next 1000 days? Let us know in the comments below, tell twitter @london2012team, or visit www.london2012.com.

What will you be up to in three years’ time? A different job? A new house? Will your kids be starting school / deciding to go to university? It seems like a long time away…

And yet, three years today, London will be hosting the opening ceremony to the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Exciting stuff!

The London Paralympic Games represent a chance for London to deliver a spectacular sporting showcase for Paralympic sport, to challenge stereotypes, and to increase awareness about paralympic sports.

The London 2012 Paralympic Games in numbers:

• 11 days of competition
• 20 sports
• 20 competition venues
• 21 disciplines
• 162 paralympic nations
• 471 events
• 4,200 athletes

As well as ensuring all Olympic venues are as inclusive and accessible as possible, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), are also looking at all aspects of accessibility in London, to make sure that spectators with disabilities are able to move around the city comfortably and easily.

More on accessibility in London