Volunteers can go the extra mile with roles at 2027 Grand Départ in Leeds

The city was confirmed in January as the host location for the start of stage one of the first ever visit to Britain by the world’s biggest women’s professional cycle race.

And today organisers launched a drive to recruit the huge team of volunteers that will be at the heart of all three stages of the Grand Départ, which will run from Leeds to Manchester on July 30 and then from Manchester to Sheffield on July 31 before finishing in London on August 1.

A total of 9,000 people are being sought to help with the smooth and successful delivery of those stages and the Grand Départ of the men’s Tour de France, which is also taking place in the UK next year.

The volunteers – officially known as JOY Makers, in line with the name of the dedicated social impact programme running alongside both Grand Départs – will receive full training in a range of roles, including event operations support and spectator engagement.

For further information about the JOY Makers registration process – which runs from today (Wednesday, May 27) until Tuesday, September 1 – click here. Applications are welcome from anyone aged 16 or over, with no previous volunteering experience required.

The JOY social impact programme is designed to ensure that next year’s Grand Départs leave a positive and long-lasting legacy by connecting communities, improving health and wellbeing and offering opportunities for personal development.

Volunteers aged 18 to 25 will be eligible for the programme’s Readiness to Work scheme, which will provide a package of employability skills training and career-focused mentoring across multiple sectors.

Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said:

“Today’s call for volunteers is a reminder that the visit to Leeds by the Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift won’t just be a celebration of sporting excellence, it will be an occasion for the whole city to enjoy.

“It will be great to see people of all ages and from all communities doing their bit to support the event, while also creating special memories for themselves.

“I’m sure the local volunteers will make Leeds proud on a day that promises to be a fantastic showcase for the city and everyone who calls it home.”

Next year’s Grand Départ action in Leeds will start on the Headrow, with riders undertaking a partial loop of the city centre before striking out bound for Headingley. After passing Headingley Stadium, they will travel down to Kirkstall and then towards Bramley.

From there, they will go south via Gamble Hill and Farnley before heading west to Drighlington and, ultimately, crossing into Kirklees and over the Pennines to Manchester.

Full details of the roads involved – together with information on temporary closures and traffic restrictions – will be announced in due course, with a programme of engagement with local residents and businesses set to get under way this summer.

People can also receive Leeds-specific updates on how the day will work by joining a dedicated mailing list via the Visit Leeds website.

British Cycling’s Tracy Power, who is leading JOY, the Grand Départ GB 2027 social impact programme, said:

“The JOY Makers programme will create a core of engaged volunteers across Britain, who are willing to show up and get stuck in, dedicating their time to bring local events and activities to life. This will not only benefit the cycling community but also help our local communities to thrive and bolster employability.

“Whether you have volunteered before, are a regular on a bike or are completely new to volunteering and the world of cycling, everyone is welcome as a JOY Maker.”

Leeds’s 2027 role will see it becoming the first place outside mainland Europe to host the start of stage one of a Grand Départ for both the men’s Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

Around 230,000 people packed into the city centre to cheer the riders on their way during the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in 2014, with another two million spectators lining the rest of the race’s Yorkshire route.

A report by Leeds City Council and UK Sport showed the 2014 Grand Départ boosted Yorkshire’s economy by more than £100m, with further long-term benefits predicted as a result of increased tourism, profile and trade deals.

The Grand Départ of the men’s 2027 Tour de France will run from July 2 to 4, with riders setting out from Edinburgh and visiting cities such as Carlisle, Liverpool and Cardiff.

Both the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift are organised by French company ASO, with delivery of next year’s Grand Départs being led by Grand Départ GB and British Cycling.

ENDS