FSWSO » London 2012 » September 2010

London 2012 (13 unread)

Where else but the South West would you find morris dancers, live music and circus acts - all in one weekend?

Posted: September 29th, 2010, 6:00am CDT

Tents, morris dancers, sound sculptures by the sea and circus on a cricket pitch – all part of the Cultural Olympiad's Count Me In programme in the South West last weekend.
The North West shows its passion for London 2012

Posted: September 28th, 2010, 6:00am CDT

It's always a pleasure visiting England's North West. As one of the most passionate regions for sport, it is demonstrating its full commitment to delivering upon the London 2012 vision to use the power of the Games to inspire change.
Bringing an international flavour to the UK School Games

Posted: September 27th, 2010, 6:00am CDT

While International Inspiration, London 2012's international sports legacy programme, is busy inspiring young people across the globe through the power of sport, it's also working hard right here in the UK.
Photos of the week: Tiles, short films and webcams

Posted: September 24th, 2010, 6:00am CDT

See what has been happening at London 2012 this week...
Mark Foster, Olympic swimmer, former world champion and world record holder, lays the first tiles in the London 2012 Aquatics Centre pool.
Volunteering at the Games will be accessible to everyone

Posted: September 22nd, 2010, 6:00am CDT

With just two years to go to the Paralympic Games, this year's Liberty Festival in Trafalgar Square really did give everyone a 'taste of things to come'. It was the best ever.
Where else could you see street artists, aerial performers and line dancers mixed in with wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis? If Liberty really is a taste of what London will be like when we get to the Paralympic Games then it will be amazing – if not a little exhausting.

Standing on stage announcing the arrival of my new best mates Wenlock and Mandeville was a surreal moment, I grant you – but what was amazing was seeing the thousands of people across the square all having a great afternoon.

As the day continued I could see my LOCOG colleagues busy chatting to audience members about the various volunteering opportunities at the Games. I was amazed about how positive and engaged people were.
We’ve all maybe had poor experiences of volunteering, I’m sure, and of course there’s always the cynical and jaded. Not here. Everyone was genuinely interested and wanted more information. Watching how the attitudes of disabled and deaf audience members changed when it was stressed that the Games Maker opportunities will be accessible just made my day.
The majority of volunteer placements in the UK just aren’t accessible – no one will meet the costs of access such as sign language interpreters or personal assistants. You can’t use the government Access to Work scheme to support these costs, either. Add to this the complicated issues around disability benefits and volunteering doesn’t generally have disabled people queueing round the block!

Well, judging by the level of interest at Liberty and the number of emails and phone calls to the office, the fact that we at LOCOG have thought about access being central to our London 2012 Games Maker programme has already made a difference.

Watch out for more news in the next few months about Liberty and the outdoor arts season for next year – treat 2011 as your final warm-up before the big event. See you all there!
Your chance to be part of the greatest show on Earth, and help change public attitudes in the process

Posted: September 21st, 2010, 6:00am CDT

Sometimes you're faced with an opportunity that you simply can't say 'no' to, and for me that moment came at the end of 2007. I had a great job I was settled into and enjoying, but then I heard of a vacancy at the London 2012 Organising Committee in my field of work, Communications.
Now you've got a chance to be a part of London 2012 too – by becoming a London 2012 Games Maker
Photos of the week: Velodrome, volunteers and more

Posted: September 17th, 2010, 6:00am CDT

The Velodrome remains on course to be the first venue in the Olympic Park to be completed, as work began this week on laying the first pieces of the timber track that the cyclists will compete on.
The timber used in the track is made from sustainably sourced Siberian Pine, chosen especially because the trees are straight and tall, and perfect for the long lengths required. Keep up to date with the latest progress on the Velodrome via the webcam.
There are some amazing potential Games Makers across the UK

Posted: September 14th, 2010, 6:00am CDT

So we come to the end of the Games Maker Roadshow extravaganza! My colleague Michael and I have been on the road since last week promoting the Games Maker volunteering programme – I say 'promoting', rather educating people about what it really takes to be a Games Maker.
Photos of the week: Velodrome, Vollyball and webcams

Posted: September 10th, 2010, 6:00am CDT

Let's see what's been happening at London 2012 this week...
We have a new addition to the Olympic Park's webcam family, showing us the inside of the Velodrome and how work is progressing on what will be the fastest cycling track in the world.
Living, eating and breathing London 2012

Posted: September 9th, 2010, 6:00am CDT

As a London 2012 employee and Great Britain Paralympic hopeful, it's safe to say I'm pretty immersed in the London 2012 lifestyle.
By day I work in the LOCOG Licensing and Retail team, licensing out the rights to use the London 2012 logos, mascots and other design assets on apparel and other merchandise. And at ungodly hours of the morning and evening, I train for wheelchair athletics – both track sprinting and marathons on the road.
Round one of women boxers’ journey to 2012 gets underway

Posted: September 9th, 2010, 6:00am CDT

British boxers had a great championship at the recent men’s European Championship in Moscow, returning with no fewer than three silver medals and two bronze. After such an incredible performance, the focus now switches to the prospects of the female members of the squad at the AIBA Women’s World Championship in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Photos of the week: Bolt out of the bloom

Posted: September 3rd, 2010, 6:00am CDT

This week we saw the Olympic Park in full bloom, the fastest man on the planet strike a pose outside the Olympic Stadium, and some triathletes taking a plunge in the Serpentine.
Fresh from the Wheelchair Athletics Youth World Championships...

Posted: September 2nd, 2010, 6:00am CDT

... and my focus shifts more clearly on 2012
Last week I was out in the Czech Republic racing for Great Britain in the U23 IWAS World Championships over 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m and 5km. I've been wheelchair racing for just over a year after breaking my back 2 years ago. Although I've competed internationally many times I've never represented Great Britain at a championships so it was pretty exciting getting GB kit for the 1st time and travelling to Prague as a team (with Channel 4 in tow).