Under original proposals by the Games' London Organising Committee (Locog), volunteer positions would only have been open to people who were 18 or over on 1 January 2012.
But after strong opposition from young people and youth groups, the committee has overturned its decision.
Kaycee de Belen, Newham's young mayor, wrote to Lord Sebastian Coe, head of Locog, urging him to lower the age restriction to 16.
She said: "As a Stratford local, I know that young people in Newham know the area best and have a wide range of language skills, making us ideal candidates to help out when thousands of international visitors arrive in 2012."
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