Festival organisiers worked with a local award winning social enterprise to recruit, train and deploy over 150 volunteers across a range of roles to welcome and support visitors and performers at this years Godiva Festival with a total of 628 volunteer hours recorded over the weekend.
A call out for new and experienced event volunteers to be among a new festival-wide team of volunteers proved very popular with over 200 applicants expressing an interest to supporting a wide range of roles that included being back stage as part of an artist liaison team, chaperones for outdoor performers, engaging with families amongst arts and crafts activities and providing a warm welcome for all visitors.
Volunteers said:
“Thank you for another enjoyable experience”
“Loved it thank you, cant wait til next time”
“Always engagingly rewarding”
“Absolute stars all of you, straight into every job asked of them today from making masks to moving benches or waving foam fingers and all whilst smiling!”
Community organisation EnV (Events need Volunteers) was established following the 2012 Olympic Games to maintain the legacy of the successful Host City volunteer programme. Since then local volunteers have continued to be recruited and deployed across hundreds of events contributing thousands of volunteer hours leading to them being recognised with a Queens Award for Voluntary Service in 2012 and 2020. EnV’s Managing Director David Boughey was also invited to Tokyo to share his experience and train volunteers ahead of the 2020 Games and was recently honoured with an MBE for services to the community in Coventry. The local volunteer legacy has continued to grow with managing the UK City of Culture City Host and Coventry Commonwealth Games volunteers.
Go CV who were supported by some of the volunteers at Godiva Festival this year said:
“Thank you EnV for all your support to Go CV and Godiva Festival. A warm and friendly welcome, as well as helpful information, is always guaranteed from your volunteers.”
David Boughey, Managing Director, EnV said:
“Wow! What a weekend. It was a fantastic team effort between ourselves, the volunteers, Coventry City Council and so many partners and providers that contribute a huge amount to ensure this event takes place each year.
It certainly ranks high amongst a number of moments over the years that I come away from an event and think this is why we do it. Thank you to all volunteers that gave their time, energy & support to Godiva Festival 2024!”