Volunteering legacy continues two years on from the London 2012 Games

• More Team London Ambassadors to provide warm welcome to capital's visitors this summer

• Team London volunteers give one million hours since 2011

• Spirit of 2012 Trust invests £450,000 to expand Team London Young Ambassadors programme

Two years on from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games the Mayor has welcomed the continuing enthusiasm that Londoners have for volunteering.

Since setting up the Team London volunteering programme in 2011, volunteers across the capital have given over one million hours of their time through the scheme.

One of the biggest hits of the London Games was the warm welcome and assistance provided by thousands of volunteers, in the Olympic Park and at events and in public spaces across the capital.

Aiming to build on the work of the Team London Ambassadors as well as the Games Makers during that unforgettable summer, the Mayor pledged to ensure a volunteering legacy for the capital, by mobilising the community spirit and enthusiasm of Londoners to make a difference.

Since 2012 34,000 Team London volunteers are estimated to have undertaken some volunteering, for example, working with old people and youngsters, planting trees and cleaning up the environment, and many other projects to build stronger communities and improve the capital.

From this weekend, to coincide with the second anniversary since the Games, visitors to the capital and Londoners will see hundreds of specially trained Team London volunteers, who will be working at busy locations throughout the summer, as part of the annual Visitor Welcome programme.

630 Team London Ambassadors will be out and about at nine locations, providing information and advice to help visitors get the most out of the capital. They will be easily identifiable in their pink t shirts, with specially designed welcome pods at Tower of London, the V&A, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Parliament Square, St James's Park, More London, Gatwick North and Gatwick South.

Team London volunteers are also set to support high profile public events, including Prudential RideLondon, Summer Streets on Regent Street and the Gigs busking competition.

This year, 12 young unemployed young people provided by Inspire! and City Gateway will also be involved in the Ambassadors programme, as part of Team London's activities to give young Londoners opportunities that help to increase their employability.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'London is set to attract more foreign visitors – almost 19 million - this year than any other city on the planet. It is vital they receive a warm welcome and have access to up to date information they need to get the very best out of what our city has to offer. From now until the end of August our Team London Ambassadors will be at busy locations around the capital. Visitors will be able to count on our volunteers' passion for London, as well as their knowledge, to ensure they have a great time here and want to come back for more.'

As well as the Visitor Welcome programme, Team London has been developing other activities to boost volunteering in the capital. This includes the Team London Young Ambassadors initiative, which builds on the legacy of the Games by inspiring the next generation of volunteers. It aims to inspire young people from primary and secondary schools all across London to take social action in their community for a cause about which they are passionate.

Team London Young Ambassadors is delivered in partnership with the charity Free the Children and has already reached 410 schools, with an estimated 15,000 young people estimated to have gone on to actively volunteer in their schools and local communities.

Projects have ranged from supporting local foodbanks to campaigning for awareness of homelessness. Newly announced funding from Spirit of 2012 will help towards achieving the ambition of reaching 1,000 schools by the end of 2015.

Spirit is a new charity established by the Big Lottery Fund to sustain and expand the spirit, values and opportunities of the Olympics and Paralympics. It is investing in happiness.

Spirit is providing £450,000 over three years to enable the expansion of the Team London Young Ambassadors programme to offer it to all state primary and secondary schools in London by summer 2016.

Veronica Wadley said: 'This important new funding is going to help us expand our Team London Young Ambassadors Programme, which is inspiring young people to get involved in volunteering. As well as making a difference, by contributing to their communities, volunteering offers young people the chance to build their experience and confidence and develops skills that will be invaluable as they get older. We are delighted that the Spirit of 2012 Trust is supporting us to build the next generation of volunteers, keeping the legacy of the fantastic Summer of 2012 alive.'

Chief Executive of Spirit, Debbie Lye, said: 'Volunteering was a defining element of London Games; it really encapsulated the spirit of the event and therefore is a key part of our vision. We support projects across the UK that enable sport, art and volunteering to increase our sense of well-being and community cohesion. We believe that helping people get involved leads to social change; Team London Young Ambassadors because it is getting very young people enthused and helping us extend this spirit to future generations.'