Page 13 - October 2022

MEMBERS NEWS
Robert Farquhar Liveryman (Editor)
Alistair J Milner Liveryman
nal Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), r government departments.
its part in supporting this – a truly collaborative humanitarian response from the UK to assist those who need our help the most.”
Claire Hoyland, FIRE AID Project Manager said: “When we started collecting equipment six weeks ago, I could never have imagined the scale of the response. Everybody wanted to help. The deployment of 60 vehicles has been an incredible achievement by all involved. The relationships that we have built up within this time have been critical to the successful deployment of these convoys. For us, this is about more than just helping firefighters in a time of desperate need. It is also about helping friends and colleagues who have found themselves on the frontline of a war.”
Commonwealth Games 2022
Liveryman Alistair Milner shares his involvment & pride in his part of the event
As soon as I heard that the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was happening on my doorstep, I knew that I wanted to play a part. So, I volunteered to be a member of the Commonwealth Collective of volunteers.
The Commonwealth Collective includes people from all occupations, walks of life, social classes, and backgrounds, and they were looking for volunteers like me with vast experience and knowledge of risk management techniques together with organising a team of other volunteers at various venues and places around the West Midlands.
Initially, all potential applicants were invited to attend an interview in the Library of Birmingham in early November 2021, where we were given a fully immersive once in a lifetime experience. It was not a typical interview set up; there was an interactive exhibition about the Games, meeting a few former Commonwealth Games athletes and medal winners, a short inspiring film, and finally, a vigorous interview with a senior member of the interviewing panel.
I found out in late February 2022 that I have been selected as a Commonwealth Collective team member and volunteer. I am thrilled to be part of the 13,000 strong team of responsible, spirited, dedicated and dynamic volunteers for being the public face of Birmingham 2022. The volunteers will shape the experience of those competing and attending. They will be the
difference between a good and a great Games.
I have been asked to attend several cycling related events during the Games and to assist in the 1st dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony. We will be the heart and soul of the Games experience, thefirsthelloandfinalgoodbyeto more than one million spectators and thousands of athletes and officials. Volunteers who join the Commonwealth Collective will represent the vibrancy and diversity of Birmingham - we are a community of communities, making Birmingham 2022 a home Games for every nation.
Joining the Collective is an opportunity to give something back, inspire a generation and be part of something special, as members will play a vital role in helping to deliver the biggest multi- sport event in the UK since London 2012.
The Commonwealth Collective will be a visible presence in the city and across the wider region for more than a million spectators who will be visiting the West Midlands during the Games.
Being involved in the Games is one more way to give something back. I am proud to play my part in a great Birmingham 2022 summer of sport and culture, both as a volunteer and as a spectator.
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