The red blocks of Kingston’s iconic tumbling telephone boxes have pride of place in a volunteering group’s new logo.

The Kingston Volunteering Centre has changed its name to Go Kingston Volunteering as the borough prepares for a year that will bring Olympic sport to the borough.

Up to 500 extra volunteers will be needed for hundreds of events taking place in Kingston in 2012 as part of the Cultural Olympiad.

Events taking place in the borough include the Olympic cycling road races, the international youth arts festival, and the river festivals, which include the Kingston regatta and the dragon boat challenge.

Hilary Garner, chief executive of Kingston Voluntary Action, the umbrella body for voluntary sector activity in Kingston, said: “This is a powerful and impressive challenge for Go Kingston Volunteering which will reflect well on the borough and everyone who lives here.

“We hope many of the new volunteers will stay volunteering to build upon the legacy achieved during the Cultural Olympiad.” Meanwhile the clock is ticking for businesses who want to trade or advertise along the Olympic cycle race routes.

Commercial activity will be controlled within 27 ‘special event zones’ that include the parts of Kingston due to host the cycling road race and time trials.

Traders who want to be active around the routes must apply for permission before Wednesday, February 29, 2012.

The restrictions on selling from marquees, busking, collecting for charity and advertising from billboards and poster sites are included in contracts host cities sign with the International Olympic Committee.

They aim to protect the rights of the Games' corporate sponsors, and prevent ambush marketing.

The rules will apply to the route of the races, as well as pavements, or the area 2m either side of the route where there are no pavements.

However, no authorisation will be required for food and newspaper delivery, advertising on buses and taxis carrying passengers through an event zone, advertising inside a building, and most existing shop signage.

See tinyurl.com/7mo7wlv for more information and how to apply, and tinyurl.com/cwbbj8j for maps of the areas affected.