Invictus Games Birmingham looks for 2,000 volunteers

Organisers of next year's Invictus Games in Birmingham are looking for 2,000 volunteers from around the world to welcome wounded, injured and unwell service personnel and veterans to the city.

Up to 550 competitors from 25 nations are due to take part in the Games, which run from 10 to 17 July 2027. It will be the first time the event has been held in the UK since it was launched in London in 2014.

A quarter of places for local people

A quarter of the volunteer roles will go to people living in Birmingham and the surrounding region, and another quarter is reserved for people from the armed forces community.

Volunteers must be over 18 and available for a suggested five rostered sessions between 10 and 18 July. Applications are open until 14 December, and successful applicants will hear between February and March. Training at the NEC will take place in June, and uniforms will be provided.

Twelve adaptive sports

The Games will be held at the National Exhibition Centre and the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, where competitors will take part in 12 adaptive sports, including pickleball, wheelchair rugby and swimming. The Invictus Games take place every two years.

Helen Helliwell, the Games' chief executive, said volunteers were "the spirit" of every event, who "create the moments that competitors, families, friends and spectators remember long after the Games have ended".

"As a volunteer, you're not just supporting an event, you'll play a part in someone's recovery journey, and help shape an inclusive, community-driven Games where every interaction matters," she said.

"A memory that will last forever"

Maureen Levermore, from Kings Heath, volunteered at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, when she was one of 50 people who pulled Ozzy the bull during the opening ceremony. She described the experience as "awesome".

"It's a memory that will last forever, and I encourage anyone to go and volunteer," she told BBC Radio WM. She said she would be signing up to volunteer at the Invictus Games too.

"It's another major event in Birmingham and it gives us the opportunity to go and support our service personnel and our veterans - give them the welcome they deserve, it's important," she said.

"I chose to volunteer because it gives me the opportunity to give back to the community," she said.

"I was born in Birmingham and I still live here, so for me, it gives me that opportunity to give back to our community, it helps me to develop new skills... create lasting friendship and maintain a positive mindset."

"It's like a domino effect, you tell your family and friends, and then they tell their family and friends," she added.

Birmingham's next big moment

The Invictus Games offer another chance for Birmingham to put on a warm welcome for the world, this time for people who have given so much in service.