Campaigns underway to attract volunteers in 2022

The city of Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang province launches the Asian Games City Volunteer Service Campaign in Fuyang district on Dec 3. CHINA DAILY

With less than two years ahead of before the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee is gearing up its preparations for volunteer recruitment.

The city of Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang province launched the Asian Games City Volunteer Service Campaign in Fuyang district on Dec 3, two days before the 35th International Volunteer Day.

During the launch ceremony, the Hangzhou Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League released the first batch of Asian Games "V" stops, where volunteer services will be provided to domestic and foreign guests, athletes and tourists during the preparation and staging of the Hangzhou 2022.

They consist of 55 sites set up in the city's key transportation stations, scenic spots, museums, medical institutions, squares and commercial blocks.

On the same day, Fuyang district of Hangzhou established eight volunteer service teams, featuring medical support, emergency rescue, foreign language service and city tour guides. The volunteers are mainly local residents of Fuyang, including doctors, students and tour guides from the district's hospitals, universities and scenic spots.

"The Hangzhou Asian Games is not only a sports event for athletes but also connects with our daily lives," said Chen Xinxin, a 30-year-old teacher with the Fuyang Youth and Children's Center, who is on the foreign language service team.

With the Games approaching, she will improve her interpretation skills in a bid to provide better service for foreign tourists in 2022,Chen added.

Echoing Chen, Lei Junjie, a member of the district's medical support team, said he felt honored to provide voluntary services for athletes and spectators during the preparation and holding of the Games.

Lei, a 31-year-old doctor in the district health bureau, has rich experience in medical care and has engaged in district voluntary work for many years. He will provide medical treatment and rescue for athletes and spectators.

In addition, the Hangzhou Poly Center hosted the Asian Games' voluntary mobilization activities on Dec 5, which attracted large numbers of volunteers from the general public and universities. The event promoted the Asian Games' spirit and culture.

During the activities, the Pengbu community's working committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League signed a cooperative agreement with the Hangzhou Tong Xin Bo Ai Public Welfare Service Center to mobilize more young people to take part in the voluntary work for the Hangzhou 2022.

The organizing committee will launch a global appeal for Games volunteers in May 2021, said Li Lianping, director of the HAGOC's Volunteers Department, who added that the total number of volunteers for the Hangzhou Asian Games and Para Games is expected to reach 70,000, most of whom will be students from universities and colleges.

Five requirements must be met for an individual to qualify as a volunteer for the Hangzhou 2022－they must have a clean record according to Chinese law; be at least 18 years old by Sept 1, 2022; have the basic skills and knowledge of volunteering; be able to communicate in Chinese or English; and be available for continuous service during the Games.

Recruitment information will be issued on the Games' official website, WeChat and Weibo accounts. Qualified volunteers will undergo rounds of general and specialized training before performing their duties, while those who are not chosen still have the chance to be city volunteers, Li said.

To date, there are 3.4 million registered volunteers in Hangzhou, accounting for more than 33 percent of the city's permanent residents, which means that one out of every three Hangzhou residents is a volunteer. The organizing committee will release volunteering slogans, promotional videos and appoint image ambassadors in a bid to call up the city's current volunteer resources for the Games.