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Handover Events

School and college celebrations across the South West marked Paralympic Handover and heralded the start of the London 2012 Education Programme.

An estimated 5,000 schools and colleges across the UK took up London 2012’s invitation to lead the celebrations and welcome the Paralympic Games home, on the day London Mayor Boris Johnson received the Paralympic Flag during the Closing Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

3,000 schools and colleges across the UK registered directly with the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), with an estimated further 2,000 institutions involved in events run by Local Authorities, sports clubs, leisure centres and cultural groups.

In the South West alone, 273 schools and colleges officially registered to be part of the Paralympic Handover with many more also taking part in activities.

Highlights of celebrations in the region included:

Wiltshire - Sheldon Secondary School, Chippenham, two carousels of activity throughout the day were offered with tuition and coaching covering Wheelchair Basketball, Boccia, Athletics and Karate / Tai Chi, with Rowing joining forces with Devon for a joint challenge;
West of England: The sports centre at the University of the West of England hosted a day of sports coaching for young disabled people already identified as being talented performers by the talent identification programmes through the School Sport Partnerships. Four sports provided for coaching delivered by the CSP’s inclusion coaches and the coaches from the University.
Gloucestershire: Wheelchair Tennis activity at Oxtalls Tennis Centre for around 40 young people from around the Gloucester area. The activity was open to all abilities and coached by in-house coaches with support from sports leaders from Hartpury College and the National Star College, a residential FE college for young people with physical disabilities;
Gloucestershire: An evening celebration at the Leisure Centre in Cheltenham, recently re-opened following floods in 2007. Building on the wheelchair tennis event earlier in the day, coaching and tuition was offered in Boccia, Athletics, Football and Wheelchair Basketball targeted at arround 40 young people with disabilities who have already been identified as talented performers.
Devon: An indoor rowing event took place at the John Kitto YMCA in Plymouth. Up to 100 young people with a disability from mainstream and special schools around the county took part. Joining forces with rowing activity in Wiltshire, the two teams of young people tackled the distance from Plymstock to Dorney Lake and the Devon team the distance from Plymstock to Chippenham, Wiltshire took the distance from Chippenham to Dorney Lake;
Somerset: Wheelchair Basketball and Boccia coaching took place at Haygrove Comprehensive School in Bridgwater. This event for students with a disability at mainstream schools in the county as well as the students at the two local special schools featured an appearance by Lee Hamlyn, an international Boccia player and Boccia coach;
Dorset: In the Bournemouth and Poole areas, a morning athletics session ran for a mix of abilities at Kings Park Athletics Track. An afternoon Boccia session was offered at Victoria School, a non-maintained special school for people with physical disabilities. The school recently achieved specialist sports college status;
Dorset: Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Sail Laser provided sailing coaching and tuition in the morning for up to 14 invited young people;
Cornwall: A multi-sport festival took place at Newquay Leisure Centre for up to 12 young people with a disability from each of the 5 school sports partnerships in the county. Activities were led by the Cornwall Sports Partnership community sports coaches and used to establish a new community sports club for people with a disability in the county.

Inspired by the amazing performances of ParalympicsGB in Beijing, the schools and colleges were supported in celebrating Paralympic Handover by a set of online resources including films, posters and factsheets launched in June by (LOCOG).

The festivities across the region gave children and young people their first taste of the creativity and inspiration that will be found throughout the London 2012 domestic education programme called ‘Get Set’ which went live on 18 September. The new interactive ‘Get Set’ website can be found at www.london2012.com/getset

The website supports children and young people in learning about the Games and, exploring and committing to the Paralympic Values of inspiration, determination, courage and equality and the Olympic Values of respect, excellence and friendship.

Highlights of the ‘Get Set’ website include:

A range of free, flexible resources with the Paralympic and Olympic Values at their heart. Resource available on the site are for 3-19 year olds and include inspirational films, interactive games, fact sheets, news articles and more, along with an Educators section for practitioners and senior ma nagement.
The opportunity for schools and colleges to join the Get Set network and receive rewards, recognition and endorsement for work around the Values.
The opportunity to ‘Go Further’ and get involved in initiatives supported by London 2012 partners in eight key themes - internationalism; communication, collaboration and citizenship; practical learning; PE and sport; enterprise; sustainability and regeneration; culture and creativity, and healthy, active lifestyles.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of (LOCOG) said: “Our vision is to inspire children and young people through the London 2012 Games. Our athletes at the 2008 Paralympic Games and Olympic Games have certainly done this. The Paralympic and Olympic Values lie at the heart of our handover celebrations and are an integral part of our work with young people through schools and colleges. By motivating young people in the South West and capturing their imagination we can help them to fulfill their potential, and create a legacy that will continue long after the London 2012 Games have ended.”

Ged Roddy, South West England member of LOCOG’s Nations and Regions and Chair of the Regional Sports Board said:

“In the South West the Paralympic Games is as important to us as the Olympic Games. Sport has a tremendous power to inspire us all – and nowhere is this more evident than during the Paralympic Games in Beijing where we have all been thrilled by our athletes. We wanted to celebrate the handover in our own way right across the South West. With 9 events running today covering the majority of the Paralympic sports we want to encourage more participation in the years leading up to the London 2012 Games and beyond! Come and join us and see where you can take part “

Guy Lavender, South West England Director for the 2012 Games said:

“I have seen how sport has the power to transform lives and unlock potential. We really want to celebrate paralympic sport coming home to the UK. Disability sport is a vital part of our legacy from the London 2012 Games and we want our South West athletes to bring home their share of the medals from the London 2012 Games. This means focusing now on the support, resources and coaching they need to compete –and today’s events just demonstrate our committment.

ParalympicsGB Chief Executive, Phil Lane said: “It is fantastic to see the London 2012 Organising Committee committed to inspiring a younger generation through the ideals and achievements of Britain’s Paralympians and the spirit of the Paralympic movement as a whole. If we are to remain a leading nation in the world of Paralympic sport we must ensure that education really challenges young people. This London 2012 Organising Committee initiative - working together with ParalympicsGB - will help achieve that ambition.”

Jim Knight, Minister for Schools said: “We’ve seen this month how proud we are in the South West of our Olympians and Paralympians. We can now build on how the momentum of our success to motivate young people of all abilities to go beyond their personal best and be the very best they can. This Paralympic handover is a very special moment in triggering a range of activities to bring home that spirit of excellence and inclusion to every young person in our region.”

“The Olympic and Paralympic spirit can be hugely motivating to young people - symbolising people using their abilities to achieve at the highest level. My department is delighted to be working with LOCOG to realise the educational potential of the 2012 Games.”

Institutions wishing to join the Get Set network must place young people in the driving seat and empower them to demonstrate a commitment to the Values. Children and young people will work with their practitioners to develop ideas, projects, goals and targets which are relevant to their place of learning and, crucially, build on existing national and local objectives.

Through the Get Set network institutions will be rewarded with a range of opportunities including the use of special London 2012 education branding. The first institutions to join the network will be announced in September 2009, following a competition for young people to help design this branding and giving institutions and their young people a full academic year to plan and articulate their involvement in the scheme.

LOCOG is also working with its partners to develop resources that complement the core Values based programme. Over the next four years eight key themes will be developed: internationalism; communication, collaboration and citizenship; practical learning; PE and sport; enterprise; sustainability and regeneration; culture and creativity, and healthy active lifestyles.

For example, EDF Energy, a London 2012 Tier 1 sponsor and Sustainability Partner, is a key contributor to the sustainability and regeneration strand. EDF’s website - The Pod (www.jointhepod.org) - explores climate change, energy and sustainability issues and how children and young people can make a practical difference at home, school and in their communities. Young people and their teachers can link to The Pod via the Get Set website.

The Youth Sport Trust, is a key contributor to the PE and sport theme and their Young Ambassadors programme is the first education legacy programme to be awarded the London 2012 Inspire Mark.

Bringing the enterprise theme to life the annual Make Your Mark Challenge asks students to come up with new products and services in response to a top secret brief, which is being developed jointly by Make Your Mark and LOCOG. It launches on the first day of Enterprise Week, which is this year part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (17-23 November 2008).

The London 2012 (or Get Set) programme complements the ParalympicsGB – ParaSport initiative supported by Deloitte – that is designed to engage young people and signpost opportunities to become involved in disability sport.

LOCOG is working with the Department of Children, Schools and Families and - through the London 2012 Nations and Regions group - the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government and Northern Ireland to develop their Education Programme.

Ends

For more information please contact Sue Handford 07785 593690

Notes to Editors

1.The South West England Directorate for the 2012 Games is funded by South West RDA and Sport England and has been developed to ensure South West England secures a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The director Guy Lavender is an advocate for the 2012 Games at all levels across South West England and leads Team South West in its mission to “maximise the business, sporting, cultural and social opportunities of London 2012 to deliver a lasting and discernible legacy from the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games across the South West”.

2.The South West RDA leads the development of a sustainable economy, investing to unlock the region's business potential. It works in partnership with public, private and social purpose organisations to drive up the region's productivity by giving people the skills they need, encouraging enterprise, improving infrastructure, regenerating places, and promoting the strengths of the region. For more information see www.southwestrda.org.uk

3.Sport England is the agency tasked with the development of community sport in England and invests Lottery and Exchequer funds into sport. Sport England has nine Regional Sports Boards, each made up of experts from areas such as business, local government, sport, health and education. The RSBs provide the strategic lead for sport in their regions and distribute investment for grassroots sport. Sport England has invested more than £2.2billion of Lottery funds into sport across England and more than £550 million from the Exchequer. www.sportengland.org

4.The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) is the national body responsible for developing sport for disabled people in England. EFDS work closely with the six National Disability Sports Organisations recognised by Sport England to develop sporting opportunities for the 11 million disabled in England.

5.The London 2012 Games represents a unique opportunity to welcome the Paralympic Games back to the country that inspired the creation of the new world-wide sporting movement following the success of the landmark archery competition amongst war-injured patients at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital, nr Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire in 1948.

6.The Get Set website features:

A Discover section with interactive games, fact sheets and other learning resources. The material is differentiated by each key curriculum age group: ages 3-5; 5-7; 7-11;11-14;14-16;16-19;

A blog for children and young people to share their ideas and experiences, creating a UK-wide network of schools and colleges;
Nine short films featuring some of the great Olympic and Paralympic moments, Olympians and Paralympians, people who are working to deliver the Games and more.
Updated news along with regular online debates and polls on key issues;
A section for teachers, senior management and other education practitioners with information on how to make the most of Get Set, including educators notes and case studies A Discover section with interactive games, fact sheets and other learning resources. The material is differentiated by each key curriculum age group: ages 3-5; 5-7; 7-11;11-14;14-16;16-19;
A blog for children and young people to share their ideas and experiences, creating a UK-wide network of schools and colleges;
Nine short films featuring some of the great Olympic and Paralympic moments, Olympians and Paralympians, people who are working to deliver the Games and more.
Updated news along with regular online debates and polls on key issues;
A section for teachers, senior management and other education practitioners with information on how to make the most of Get Set, including educators notes and case studies

For more information, to answer any questions or arrange an interview with Guy Lavender please contact Sue Handford on 07785 593690

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