Volunteering can open up a world of opportunity. But for some, taking that first step can be difficult.

Using the profile of Games volunteers as inspiration, a free course, Introduction to Community and Event Volunteering, was offered to early school leavers, recent migrants and the long term unemployed.

Around 1,500 people completed the course and have already discovered how volunteering can lead to lots of new opportunities in the broader community and major events such as the Commonwealth Games.

The courses are complete but you can hear some of the positive stories from graduates who have gone onto volunteer work, enrolled in further education and in some instances found employment.

Click here to view some pre-volunteer case studies