Information Bulletin
12 July 2005
Shetland turns out en-masse to back the Games
Shetland Islands Council has today praised the huge level of community support for the 2005 NatWest Island Games, currently underway in Shetland.
Around 1500 local volunteers of all ages have stepped forward to help out with the event, working in many capacities such as marshals, kit-carriers, medal maids and scorers. Shetland is bustling with community activity, not just at sports venues, but also in schools and community halls that have been converted to provide accommodation for visiting teams.
As the largest public agency in Shetland, the Council is contributing directly to the success of the Games. Staff from many sectors of the Council have been working closely with volunteers, the Games Organising Committee and colleagues in Shetland Recreational Trust – who manage Shetland’s eight leisure centres – to meet the needs of all those taking part in the Games. As well as the obvious supporting activities such as the complex and efficient network of buses and ferries transporting competitors and spectators around the isles every day, the Council’s workforce is handling the necessary roads, environmental and public health and safety issues in an assured and efficient manner.
Spectators have also turned out in droves to cheer on competitors at all the sports venues. The men’s football match in Lerwick between the Shetland and Falkland Islands teams drew an estimated crowd of around 2500 people – the same population as the Falkland Islands themselves. Many sports venues around Shetland are also packed with onlookers each day and the Shetland flag is much in evidence.
With a population of around 23,000, Shetland is the smallest population ever to host the week-long international sports event. Around 2000 competitors from 24 islands around the world are in the midst of sports events across Shetland.
Convenor of the Council, Sandy Cluness commented on the success of the NatWest Island Games in Shetland – “The people of Shetland have given a warm welcome to all our Games visitors. I am very pleased to see the huge number of volunteers that are helping to make the Games a success for Shetland. I would also like to publicly thank the many Council employees who have pulled out all the stops to make sure that everything that needs to be done to facilitate holding such a huge event is being carried out quietly and efficiently in the background. It is a great demonstration of the strength of our community spirit that we have the capacity to host this major international event here.”
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www.shetland.gov.uk/islandgames