@article{bce5d4b001644278aa6a9bd56b90d75d,
title = "Volunteering for sports mega events: a non-host region perspective",
abstract = "Despite a plethora of studies focussing on sports mega event volunteering, little is known about volunteers who live outside of the host city. This exploratory research makes a novel contribution by focusing on a group of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games volunteers from a non-host region. Within this context, the study explores volunteers{\textquoteright} motives, the utility of using financial subsidies to support volunteering participation, and their attitudes towards post-event volunteering. Semi-structured interviews with twelve volunteers were conducted, accompanied by interviews with key local stakeholders. The findings suggest that Olympic-related factors and altruistic feelings were central motivations to volunteering. Some previous volunteering experiences increased confidence levels to volunteer at the Olympics. The financial scheme was perceived as an impetus further enhancing Leicestershire residents{\textquoteright} confidence to volunteer. Programme participants also indicated positive attitudes towards future volunteering intentions.",
keywords = "community support, non-host region, the Olympic Games, Volunteers",
author = "Shushu Chen and Jinming ZHENG and Geoff Dickson",
note = "Funding Information: Leicestershire residents{\textquoteright} engagement with the Olympics via volunteering was restricted by the geographic living location; reported problems include finding appropriate accommodation during the Games within commutable distance, time and cost constraints associated with travel to the events. This range of challenges is consistent with Chalip{\textquoteright}s (1999) and Fairley et al.{\textquoteright}s (2016) identification of problems with which volunteers may be confronted. As introduced earlier, a local boost was proffered to Leicestershire Games Makers by local authorities and other partners to promote and financially support volunteers{\textquoteright} engagement with the Games. Leicestershire Games Makers highly valued this financial support. The financial scheme seemed to be helpful for facilitating this group of Leicestershire Games Makers{\textquoteright} engagement with the event, as it not only covered a considerable portion of the financial expenses arising from volunteering for the Games, but also was seen as local authorities{\textquoteright} acknowledgement of the contributions that Leicestershire Games Makers made to the Games. Funding Information: I think the financial support meant a lot to me. I mean, it is all down to local authority supporting Games Makers; and because with that support, in this case is the funding support, we can then contribute to volunteering. Otherwise, we will have to try to sort that out by ourselves. But by giving us the money, we will be confident to be able to volunteer. (Mia, London 2012 Paralympic volunteer)",
year = "2018",
month = may,
day = "4",
doi = "10.1080/23750472.2018.1530609",
language = "English",
volume = "23",
pages = "189--203",
journal = "Managing Sport and Leisure",
issn = "2375-0472",
publisher = "Taylor and Francis Ltd.",
number = "3",
}