Society volunteer feeds their passion for sport

Anyone who lives in the midlands will have been very excited to hear that the prestigious Commonwealth Games were coming to Birmingham.

Society IS Business Analyst, Tom Godsmark, took his excitement one step further and saw this as a chance to give back in a way that nurtured his love of sport.

“I love all sport, so huge events like this are unmissable for me. The fact that they were being held just minutes down the road meant volunteering for this year’s games was an opportunity too good to miss!”

Society staff are encouraged to take time out of their busy working day to share their skills and time with the local causes that mean the most to them. Tom is volunteering as an Athletes Services Team Member within the boxing section, he explained what that role entails:

“I am involved in getting the boxers, coaches, physios etc from the check-in area to the arena, and then onto the ring. I also support them after they have competed in their bouts. We are basically there to ensure they have everything they need, and get where they need to be at the right time. I’ve even had the privilege of being a flag bearer for two bouts so far. I lead a boxer from Sri Lanka and one from Malawi to the ring equipped with their flag. I then got to watch them box ring side – brilliantly they both won.”

Watching the games over the last week has been a real thrill for us all, however being there has really taken Tom’s enjoyment to the next level, Tom said:

“Everyone involved has been great, a really friendly atmosphere has been created. It was a relief to be honest, as it was a bit daunting turning up to my first training session at the NEC looking at the sheer scale of the operation. At the weekend I’m working on the Gold Medal matches, I’m buzzing to be involved as hopefully we should have some UK boxers competing. It will be fascinating to see how the atmosphere changes when everything is on the line.”

Find out more about how Society staff give their time to volunteer for local schools, community groups, charities, and more on our volunteering page.