Shropshire communities to welcome Olympic Flame
A total of 11 Shropshire communities will welcome the Olympic Flame next May (2012) as it makes its mammoth journey from Greece to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The torch, to be carried by a number of inspirational Torchbearers, will pass through the communities of Ludlow, Clee Hill and Cleobury Mortimer on Thursday 24 May 2012 and Oswestry, Pant, Llanymynech, Shrewsbury, Cressage, Much Wenlock, Benthall and Broseley on Wednesday 30 May 2012. This will give local people a once in a lifetime chance to welcome the Olympic Flame, share in the excitement of the Relay and celebrate the fantastic achievements of the Torchbearers.
There will be a special welcome in the town of Much Wenlock, where Doctor William Penny Brookes founded the Wenlock Olympian Games in 1850 and inspired the revival of the modern Olympics in Athens in 1896. The annual Games continue to be held in the town to this day. The link has been recognised by the London 2012 Olympics as the Games’ official mascot is called Wenlock.
The 11 Shropshire communities feature in a list of over 1,000 villages, towns and cities announced by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) through which the Olympic Flame will be carried by Torchbearers during the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, which is presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung.
Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for active and healthy lifestyles, said:
“It is a great honour that 11 of our communities will be able to give a big welcome to the Olympic Flame. I am especially pleased that the torch will be passing through my home town of Oswestry as a starting point on its journey around the county on 30 May.
“I’m also excited that this fantastic opportunity will help showcase our beautiful county to the world, especially as Much Wenlock has such an important connection to the modern Olympics and the torch was designed by a former Shropshire art and design student.
“By passing through Shropshire the flame will offer everyone a chance to celebrate and take part in the countdown to the biggest cultural festival to happen in the UK for years.
“We hope that everyone who wants to will be able to take to the streets to wave their flags as the Torch Relay runs through Shropshire on its journey to London.”
Milner Whiteman, Shropshire Councillor for Much Wenlock, said:
“I am absolutely delighted that the Torch is coming through Much Wenlock and Benthall and calling in at the home town of Dr William Penny Brookes who inspired the re-birth of the Modern Olympic Games.”
Shropshire Council’s community arts and festivals team can provide support to help communities put on their own local Torch Relay celebrations on 24 May and 30 May 2012. Community groups, town councils, parish councils, schools and individuals are encouraged to get in touch with the team by emailing their thoughts and ideas to arts.service@shropshire.gov.uk.
Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said:
“We are thrilled to confirm that Shropshire will act as a host location for the Olympic Flame, extending an invitation to people in the county to welcome the Olympic Torch Relay during its journey around the UK.
“This is the UK’s moment to shine and I want to encourage people across Shropshire to start planning how they can be part of this once in a lifetime opportunity and show their support for the inspirational Torchbearers chosen to carry the Olympic Flame as we count down to the start of the Olympic Games.”
A number of community celebration activities will take place during and after the Torch has passed through, such as displays, performance or sports activities. People should watch out for further information in the run up to May 2012.
Click here for more information about the Torch Relay.
Further information
The 70-day Olympic Torch Relay will start at Land’s End, Cornwall on the morning of 19 May 2012. On leaving Land’s End, the Olympic Flame will travel an estimated 8,000 miles around the UK, giving thousands of communities and individuals their moment to shine as the Olympic Flame comes to a place near them.
In announcing the villages, towns and cities LOCOG has realised the aspiration of taking the Olympic Flame to within an hour’s journey time of 95% of the population. In fact, over 95% of the population will be within just 10 miles of the Olympic Flame next summer. The street by street detail of the route will be confirmed next year.
People are invited to view the interactive map at www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelaymap to find their nearest community through which the Olympic Flame will be carried.
On the final day of the Olympic Torch Relay, it is LOCOG’s intention that the Olympic Flame will travel down the River Thames as it makes its way to the Olympic Stadium on 27 July 2012 for the lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony, signifying the official start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The Olympic Flame will be carried across the UK by 8,000 inspirational Torchbearers each of whom will have a story of personal achievement and/or contribution to the local community. In December this year, successful nominees will be contacted with a conditional offer and final Torchbearer places will start to be confirmed from February 2012 onwards.
Today (Monday 7 November 2011) LOCOG launches two new public participation programmes. The ‘Local Leaders’ initiative is an invitation to people to take the 2012 Games into their community and create their own celebrations next year, for the Olympic Torch Relay and other key moments during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. People are encouraged to sign up to the Local Leader programme at www.london2012.com/localleaders to receive further information on a range of themed celebration ideas focusing on the Opening Ceremony evening, gardening, quizzes and barbecues and be in the front row to receive free London 2012 event materials to support events.
Also launched today is the ‘Get Set for the Olympic Torch Relay’ education resource, available to all schools registered with Get Set, London 2012’s official education programme. The aim of the resource is to provide schools with cross-curricular resources aimed at teachers working with 3-to 16-year-olds to aid learning around history of Olympic Torch Relays, the design of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay and the Torch itself. A further education resource will launch next year to encourage schools to plan a welcome for the Olympic Flame and show support for the Torchbearers. Lloyds TSB, official Education Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, has launched its Flame Followers schools programme which complements the Get Set resources, and gives schools once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to be right at the heart of the excitement and celebrations of the Relay.
As the longest standing Presenting Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola will be using its heritage and experience to spread excitement across the UK ahead of London 2012. Coca-Cola’s national nomination campaign – Future Flames – has focused on finding inspirational young people from across the country to have the once in a lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame. Next summer Coca-Cola will celebrate these Future Flames: young people who use their passions in areas like sport and physical activity, music and dance, and community and the environment; to spread happiness in their local communities. Find out more at: www.coca-cola.co.uk/olympic-games
As the only National Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Lloyds TSB will be taking the spirit and inspiration of the Olympic Flame right to the heart of communities across the UK. As part of Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of Scotland will be the National Presenting Partner in Scotland. We will bring the Relay closer to our customers through our branches on practically every high street and our activities in the community, National School Sport Week and Local Heroes. Customers can be the first to hear about exclusive offers, including how they can have the chance to carry the Olympic Flame, through our customer-exclusive programme, Trackside. Find out more at www.lloydstsb/london2012. Schools can be right at the heart of the celebrations through our Flame Followers programme, giving them access to free resources to get their pupils inspired and excited about the Olympic Torch Relay, and the chance for their school to carry the Olympic Flame, win a celebration party at their school during the Relay and win a Cheer Kit to welcome the Relay to their community. Customers can be the first to hear how they can follow the Olympic Flame, through our customer-exclusive programme Trackside. Find out more at www.lloydstsb.com/london2012.
As part of its support for the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Samsung is providing a number of the Olympic Torchbearers through its public nomination process. These ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunities to carry the Olympic Flame on its journey around the UK, represents one of the many ways that Samsung is enabling people from all corners of the world to be part of the greatest show on Earth. Becoming an Olympic Torchbearer thanks to Samsung means everyone can become a part of the Olympic history. From 13 June 2011, Samsung has invited the world to recognise its unsung heroes. Samsung’s nomination programme for Olympic Torchbearers is a worldwide search for these unique and selfless individuals. The campaign has been communicated globally via a number of marketing channels to ensure that the maximum number of people become aware of the opportunity. It is Samsung’s ambition that London 2012 will be an event that reaches and involves more people than on any other Olympic Games occasion. To learn more about the Samsung nomination programme, please visit www.samsung.com/london2012.
