Victoria Karran

Victoria has over the past 12 months volunteered on the organising committee of the Commonwealth Youth Games. She has helped recruit, co-ordinate train and manage 1,300 volunteers whose roles will be to support the Games which is being held in the Isle of Man in September 2011

The Isle of Man is the first small nation to be awarded the hosting of the Commonwealth Youth Games. Given that there are only 80,000 people living on the Island, the pool of potential volunteers is relatively small and Victoria has had to use all her network contact and powers of persuasion. Victoria set up a committee, itself made up of volunteers, to help in her mammoth task.

The Games last for a week from the 7th to the 13th September 2011, and Victoria has given up 10 days holiday to cover the event. This is in addition to the weekly committee meetings, training events, meeting the volunteers, meeting the country representatives and liaising with the other organisation committee members to ensure interlock with other work streams such as accommodation, communications and sports coordinators.

This was a huge task, and Victoria addressed it with her usual tenacity to succeed, her boundless energy and wonderfully positive approach encouraging others along the way. She has undertaken this task on top of an already demanding workload, and has delivered it with a smile on her face. CR