2012 Newsletter May 2010
Hertfordshire news
The Fullers' London 2012 challenge
Talking of challenges...Herts ambassador for the 2012 Games John Fuller and his son Jonathan are taking on the Coast to Coast Walk in June as their London 2012 Challenge - walking 192 miles from St Bees in the west, to Robin Hood's Bay in the east.
Father and son plan to complete the hike in 11 days, walking an average of just over 17 miles a day. Jonathan said: "It will be a tough long walk but we will battle on even when we have terrible blisters and don't think we can make it any further."
John is no stranger to keep fit - he ran at the first Newham Olympic 10k in March and won in his age range. He was also in the silver medallists' team in the Hertfordshire Cross County Championships and individual bronze medallist at the Regional Cross Country Championships all in the space of eight days!
The Fullers are raising money for ARC - the Arthritis Research Campaign in the UK. One in five of the population lives with arthritis and ARC raises funds to promote medical research into the cause, treatment and cure of arthritic conditions; to educate medical students, doctors and allied healthcare professionals about arthritis; and provide information to the general public.
To sponsor them, please visit www.justgiving.com/jandjc2c.
Hatfield House hosting July event
New Hertfordshire is Ready for Winners Partnership (HRFWP) patron Lord Salisbury is hosting a business breakfast at Hatfield House on Thursday 1 July.
Local firms can go along for free to learn about London 2012's procurement system CompeteFor from experts on the day. They'll find out about Hertfordshire's Olympic venue - the White Water Canoe Centre - and also meet and listen to an Olympic medallist and some of the county's talented young athletes, the sporting stars of the future, who are on the Hertfordshire Talented Athlete Programme.
Speakers will include representatives from Business Link, Herts Ready for Winners and Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. Lord Salisbury, the owner of Hatfield House and new patron of HRFWP, will welcome the group to the Riding School premises. The event runs from 7.15-10.30am.
Register in advance for a place at the Hatfield House event as numbers are limited. You can book:
Online: www.bookevents.org
Telephone: 0845 601 1000
Text phone: 01707 398390
Paralympian Danny Crates was guest speaker at a business breakfast in Bishop's Stortford on 5 May.
The Bishop's Stortford High School hosted the event which saw local firms learning how to bid for contracts and hearing how the school has been inspired by the 2012 Olympics.
Team GB canoeist impressed
Olympic canoeist Laura Blakeman visited the Lee Valley White Water Canoe Course she hopes to compete on in 2012. She called in at the Broxbourne site which will host the canoe slalom events during the 2012 Olympic Games, to see how work was progressing.
The starting pool of the Olympic competition course has now been completed and the venue is on track to be completed later this year.
The Team GB canoeist, who won gold in the 2009 European Canoe Slalom Championships and gold in the K-1 team events at the 2009 World Championships, said: "It's great to see the progress being made on this fantastic new canoeing venue, particularly the completion of the Olympic starting pool where I hope to compete on home soil in 2012. This new venue will leave a lasting sporting legacy for new generation of canoeist of all ages and abilities."
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) started construction last July and more than 100 people are working on the 24.7 acre site. The starting pool of the competition course has been completed and the venue is on track to be up and running later this year.
The venue will be owned, funded and operated by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority as a sporting and leisure facility for canoeing and white water rafting as well as a major competition and training venue for elite canoeists.
The park has opened an information point at YHA Lee Valley next to Cheshunt railway station, just 20 minutes walk from the construction site, to show visitors more about this spectacular venue.
The information point is open seven days a week from 9am to 7pm. For a tour or group visit, call 08456 770 600 or email abartlett@leevalleypark.org or visit www.gowhitewater.co.uk.
Canoe clubs get a taste for white water
Canoe clubs from across the east of England were shown what they could expect from Lee Valley's London 2012 White Water Canoe Centre at a recent forum.
The Sports Development team from Lee Valley Regional Park Authority welcomed 32 paddlers representing 15 clubs from the east of England to the award-winning Lee Valley Athletics Centre in Edmonton.
Marathon man raises £500+
Turnford School PE teacher Adam Clark completed the Virgin London Marathon under the HRFWP banner, in an impressive 4hr 39min raising more than £500 for Hertfordshire's Talented Athlete Programme.
"It was so good being part of such an amazing event," said Adam, 29. "Thank you everyone for the support." "I'd like to congratulate Adam for finishing his first full marathon in such a great time and for raising money for such a great cause," said John Fuller, Herts ambassador for the 2012 Games. "Having completed seven London Marathons myself, I know what a challenge it is."
When the Olympics come to town
University of Hertfordshire digital animation visual effects students have been working on a BBC1 documentary. BBC sports reporter and Strictly Come Dancing champion Chris Hollins will take the nation on an Olympic journey to the future, giving a snapshot of what life in the capital will be like in 2012.
Level two visual effects students volunteered to work on the high profile documentary about how London will be during the Olympics.
The bulk of their work will be seen during flash forward sequences where shots had to be lavishly dressed with 2012 signage, screens, projections and fireworks.
TAPping the sporting talent
Hertfordshire's Elite Athlete Support Programme has been rebranded and is now called Hertfordshire's Talented Athlete Programme (HTAP).
HTAP is based at Hertfordshire Sports Village at the University of Hertfordshire's Hatfield campus and offers high quality facilities, expert services and specialist support to the County's young and talented athletes.
Visit HTAP's new website at www.hertssportsvillage.co.uk/hertstalentedathletes
Volunteer Centre's 2012 workshops
Volunteer Centre Dacorum has secured funding from Volunteering England to support countywide 2012 workshops to show local organisations how to create Games inspired volunteering opportunities.
Volunteer Centres already have hundreds of opportunities registered on www.do-it.org.uk but for this initiative will be particularly targeting organisations in sports, arts and culture, and environment as these are areas which are likely to attract the most interest from Olympic inspired volunteers.
For more information visit www.volunteerdacorum.org
New sport website for Dacorum
Now online - www.dacorumsports.net is the central reference point for all community sport in Dacorum.
Developed by Dacorum Sports Network, the site will provide community clubs and other community sports providers with a chance to promote themselves and keep their members and the wider Dacorum community up to date with what is happening at their club/organisation.
Regional news
Read the Report of Reports
Twice a year Nations and Regions East, along with all other regions, report their progress to London 2012 on key impact areas: economic, social, sport and communication and engagement.
The collated Report of Reports is now available.
Read more here http://www.risingtothechallengeeast.co.uk/documents/.
Still time to enter the BT NRE challenge
BT and Nations and Regions East are still looking for young people to come up with imaginative and creative ideas for a product or service that would help young people and their families enjoy a healthier lifestyle. The deadline for entries is 1 June 2010.
Read more here: www.london2012.com/getseteast
National news
Sign up for tickets now
Tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games go on sale in 2011. Sign up now and you will be among the first to hear about ticketing news and other exciting events and offers.
Registering is quick and easy, only taking a few minutes to complete. It will also save you time when tickets go on sale in 2011.
Read more at www.tickets.london2012.com
£1m funding for the third sector
A £1m funding pot is available to third sector organisations to inspire sustainable living as part of the legacy action plan for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
The Inspiring Sustainable Living fund from Defra - the Department for Environment, Food and Agriculture - can be bid for to deliver energy efficiency and usage in the home, waste and recycling, water efficiency and usage in the home, promoting more active travel via walking and cycling, greener spaces and sustainable consumption.
The funding will be made available to groups who can demonstrate they have the ability to deliver initiatives creating behavioural change, and that they have the reach to do this at a grassroots and community level.
For more information visit www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/funding.
25th hour campaign launched
A nationwide campaign using the Olympic and Paralympic Games to motivate the British public to give time in their communities has been unveiled.
The 25th Hour is separate to the official London 2012 Volunteer programme, but is based on the idea that we can all find an extra hour to make a difference.
To find out more visit www.the25thhour.org.
