COP26 volunteers proud to help showcase Glasgow and its people

Cynthia Tjipuka says she is "honoured and humbled" to have been chosen as a COP26 volunteer

A 1,000-strong team of volunteers have taken to the streets of Glasgow to play their part in COP26.

The volunteers will be on hand with local information to help the expected 25,000 visitors get around the city.

They will be based at key transport hubs and travel routes including Buchanan Street bus station and along Lancefield Quay on the Clyde.

For many, the event - which runs from 31 October to 12 November - is about promoting Glasgow on a global stage.

Cynthia Tjipuka, who moved to Scotland from Namibia 10 months ago, is thrilled at the prospect of being able to help showcase her adopted home city.

She said: "I am excited about extending a warm welcome to our delegates and visitors, as well as my fellow Glaswegians, and just making sure everyone feels included in the whole event.

"When I applied, I didn't know the magnitude of it. There were 10,000 applications and I was one of the 1,000 who were successful.

"I'm seriously honoured and humbled to be part of such a huge event. This is a life-changing event for our future generations and for the planet."

She added: "Delegates are coming from my country, including the president, so I'm really excited. I will be so proud to tell people how friendly Glasgow is as a city.

"I was extended a very warm welcome when coming to Scotland and I'm excited to extend that to other people coming here."

The first time Karen Donaldson volunteered at a big event in her home city was at the 2014 Commonwealth Games

Karen Donaldson, from Glasgow, was desperate to get involved in the the COP26 experience and jumped at the chance to volunteer.

She said: "Everybody is buzzing. We've been talking about it for so long and now it's here - it's like Christmas Day.

"I'm Glasgow born and bred so I just like to know what's going on and, especially with something as important as this, I want to play my part in it.

"You could be one of these people who just sits, has an opinion on it but does hee-haw about it whereas I like to get involved and find out for myself."

She added: "You meet all sorts of people from all around the world, having conversations that you would never have had. It's just good fun.

"Everyone is coming to Glasgow and I'm so proud of my home city.

"Glasgow punches way above its weight. We've got the architecture, the people, the location and the personality."

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