2012 Newsletter March 2010
Lord Salisbury becomes HRFWP patron
The Hertfordshire is Ready for Winners Partnership (HRFWP) is delighted to announce it has a patron.
Lord Salisbury, the owner of Hatfield House, has agreed to take on the role to support the partnership’s efforts in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“It is a great honour for the partnership to have Lord Salisbury as our patron and with his support we look forward to increasing both our own momentum and working to achieve the many opportunities for Hertfordshire which the Olympic and Paralymics offer,” said Councillor Derrick Ashley, Hertfordshire County Council’s Champion for the 2012 Games and Executive Member for Planning.
The 7th Marquess of Salisbury, who has been Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire since 2005, agreed to the patronage after meeting John Fuller, Herts 2012 manager, and Broxbourne MP Charles Walker, one of Hertfordshire’s Champions for the Games, earlier this year.
The former leader of the House of Lords offered to give his full support to the partnership, made up of key organisations from across Hertfordshire with a common interest and led by the county council.
“I am delighted to offer my support to the partnership as we all work together to achieve a lasting legacy for Hertfordshire from the London 2012 Games,” said Lord Salisbury. “The university has already been heavily involved in maximising the opportunities offered by the Games. I very much look forward to being involved in ensuring that everyone who lives, works, studies in or visits our county benefits to the greatest possible extent from the fact that we are holding an Olympic event here.”
The University of Hertfordshire’s £15m Hertfordshire Sports Village is one of the county’s 17 approved pre-games training camps.
Lord Salisbury will shortly be visiting the White Water Canoe Centre construction site in Broxbourne and his team is working with the partnership to consider areas where he can best help.
Hertfordshire children's gala concert at the Royal Albert Hall
Children from primary schools across Hertfordshire raised the roof at a Royal Albert Hall gala concert which included the debut performance of an especially composed piece inspired by the London 2012 Games.
The choirs from almost 100 schools sang The Winner's Dream by Paul Burrell, director of music at Presdales School, Ware, which was written as an imagined opening to the Games.
Hertfordshire Music Service presented two performances on Sunday 7 March, featuring 2,588 children from 98 primary schools in the county. They were accompanied by the Hertfordshire Schools Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Tom Seligman. The programme showcased the songs the children have been learning in their classrooms as part of the National Singing Programme, Sing Up, and included enacted songs from the playground, as well as the new work for massed choirs and orchestra by Paul Burrell.
James Dickinson, Head of Hertfordshire Music Service, said: “Sing Up encourages primary school children to sing every day of their lives.
“Singing aids a child’s musical development, develops their language, communication and maths skills and improves their confidence, behaviour and team-working.
“We commissioned the piece inspired by the Olympic Games as everyone starts to get excited by London 2012.”
What’s your challenge?
As London 2012 challenges the UK to set a new personal best, Hertfordshire is Ready for Winners Partnership members are stretching themselves and asking others to do the same.
For the third year running, sporting, arts and culture organisations are opening up opportunities for everyone to try something new or take their interest to the next level.
It’s part of the London 2012 Open Weekend on 23-25 July, but for John Fuller, Herts manager for the 2012 Games, his challenges are starting early.
“Mine is the coast to coast but I’m starting with the first Olympic Park 10k in March before doing the 191 mile coast to coast in June for charity, then who knows for later in the year.”
He hopes everyone in Hertfordshire will come up with something for Open Weekend, which is part of the Cultural Olympiad. “Mine will be getting a personal best at the ITU Triathlon in Hyde Park in July,” said Annie Thomas, county tourism manager & Cultural Olympiad lead.
What’s your challenge? Register events and find out more about Open Weekend via www.london2012.com/openweekend
St Lucia considers Herts training option
What started as an enquiry about an informal meeting turned in to a full-blown event with the St Lucia National Olympic Committee (NOC), writes John Fuller, Herts manager for the 2012 Games.
From the plane touchdown for a week’s holiday in the Caribbean, the first sight of local life was some runners on the one main road on the east side of St Lucia. The island is beautiful with clear blue sea and acres of banana groves and the iconic Piton Mountains rising from the sea were signs of its volcanic origins - all offering testing routes to would-be elite athletes.
A flurry of emails to Alfred Emmanuel the Secretary General, who I first met in the Olympic village in Beijing, led to an offer to meet at the capital Castries. He had been able to organise a meeting of his NOC and so the meeting turned in to a full session with them. They asked many searching questions about Hertfordshire’s pre-games training camp offer with a focus on the needs of their athletes and were keen to ensure they were well provided for.
The evening finished with a meal by the harbour when we were joined by Richard Peterkin, their President, and newly elected to the International Olympic Committee. We discussed next steps and now Alfred will be visiting us in Hertfordshire on 31 May to look at the facilities we have to offer his team.
Spotlight on local talent
Sailing talent Rhiannon Massey, 14, from Hertford, is training with the national youth squad coaches as she strives to stay at the top.
Last year she was first junior girl in the Eastern area toppers and she aims to qualify for the top Junior GB Squad this year.
A member of Royal Burnham Yacht Club and Grafham Water Sailing Club, Rhiannon hopes to gain a place in the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) National Youth Squad and then the Olympic Development Squad.
To find out about Hertfordshire's elite athlete support programme visit the Herts Sports Partnership website - www.sportinherts.org.uk.
HRFW has its own marathon man
Adam Clark, a PE teacher from Turnford School, will be running the London Marathon in April under the HRFWP banner, to raise money for the elite athlete support scheme.
HFRW breakfasts are the business
HRFWP business breakfasts have successfully been awarded an Inspire Mark.
This London 2012 accolade recognises how the events raise awareness of the Games to local firms and residents. Herts Ready for Winners held another successful business breakfast at The Grove Hotel in Watford on 26 February.
Watford Borough Council and Three Rivers District Council also supported the event, held in partnership with Business Link East.
Guest speakers included Charles Walker MP for Broxbourne and Olympian Mark Richardson. Rob Goldwater of Ashley Wilde group, who has been successful in winning a London 2012 contract, also attended.
Three athletes also attended the event from the Herts Talented Athlete Scheme with donations given by local businesses to support the scheme.
Welwyn Hatfield Sports Awards
The Welwyn Hatfield Sports Awards recognise and reward sporting successes and achievements in the borough.
More than 50 nominations were received this year, covering 15 different sports: athletics, football, badminton, cycling, basketball, cricket, running, table tennis, tennis, gymnastics, swimming, disabled sport, rugby, hockey and canoeing.
A special award was presented to Hertfordshire elite athlete Jodie Williams by BBC commentator and former 100m hurdler Stuart Storey recognising her outstanding achievement in sport.
The 100m and 200m runner has been chosen by SportsAid and Sport England as one of 16 young athletes tipped to make their mark at the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics.
Jodie, a pupil at Queenswood School, Hatfield, and a member of Herts Phoenix Athletics Club, is currently one of the athletes on Hertfordshire’s elite athlete support programme based at the University of Hertfordshire.
Holdbrook Community Fun Day
All partners are invited to a community fun day organised by Groundwork Herts on the Holdbrook Estate on Saturday 13 March from 10-3pm at the Fishers Close open space.
The day which is being supported by the Olympic Development Authority, Hertfordshire County Council and Broxbourne Borough Council will involve a range of community activities including litter picking a small section of the Small River Lee's banks, tree planting, drumming workshops and art sessions.
Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust will also be running environmental education activities on the day.
Love to Move campaign launch
Herts Sports Partnership will launch a campaign on Monday 15 March to encourage older residents in Hertfordshire to be more active.
Called Love to Move the campaign promotes walking, cycling, swimming and dancing activities in Hertfordshire, encouraging people to make the most of Hertfordshire's green spaces.
Details of the events with the opportunity to try pilates, yoga, new age curling and many other activities can be found at www.sportinherts.org.uk/events.
