Today the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) begins to make conditional offers to inspiring people across Scotland to carry the Olympic Flame next summer during the 70 day Olympic Torch Relay. Hundreds of people in Scotland are today one step closer to becoming a London 2012 Olympic Torchbearer and having their moment to shine next summer. The offers made today include the day of the Relay the Torchbearer is invited to carry the Olympic Flame.
90% of the total 8,000 Torchbearer places across the UK have been made available to people nominated for a personal best through a number of channels, including the four public nomination campaigns run by LOCOG and the three Presenting Partners of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay: Coca-Cola, Bank of Scotland and Samsung. The remaining 10% of places are offered by invitation.
Of the 6,800 individuals with an offer today, over 5,600 inspirational people were selected through these four nomination programmes run earlier in the year. Each of the four campaigns focused on recognising and rewarding people with a story of personal achievement and/or contribution to the local community with the once in a lifetime opportunity of carrying the Olympic Flame.
Next steps for people with an offer of a place today include accepting the date they have been offered to take part in the Torch Relay, providing a copy of the specified documents, confirming their uniform size and any access requirements by 25 January 2012. Every offer of a Torchbearer place is subject to passing the required background checks and final confirmation of becoming a Torchbearer will be communicated by LOCOG by March 2012. Next year’s confirmation of Torchbearer places will include the name of the town, village, city through which the Torchbearer is invited to carry the Olympic Flame. A further communication much closer to the time of the Torch Relay will confirm the details of the exact 300m (on average) stretch of the route along which the Torchbearer will carry the Olympic Flame.
An average of 115 people a day will take centre stage next summer by carrying the Olympic Flame on its 8,000 mile journey around the UK before it arrives at 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.
Among the first people to be offered a place today include Tina Wood, 24 from Orkney, nominated through Bank of Scotland’s public nomination campaign who has swum for Orkney and who is dedicated to many organisations including Kirkwall City Pipe Band, Kirkjuvagr Ceilidh Band and works at a day centre for adults with learning disabilities, and Ciara Ennis, 14 from Huntly, Aberdeenshire, nominated through LOCOG’s public nomination programme who has raised thousands of pounds for charity including busking with friends on her 10th birthday and taking part in a sponsored Relay for Life.
Tina Wood said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted to have been offered one of the first places as an Olympic Torchbearer through the Bank of Scotland nomination process. It will be so exciting to carry the flame, it’s a once in a lifetime experience and such an honour to have the opportunity to represent and celebrate the fantastic Orcadian community spirit through my experience in local fundraising, music and swimming.’
Ciara Ennis said: ‘I am so excited and extremely proud to have been offered the chance to take part in next year’s Olympic Torch Relay. I feel very privileged to be given this opportunity as I am sure there must have been thousands of people nominated. My friends and family have helped me in all my fundraising and performing and I want to thank them all for their support. I am very happy to be representing the North East of Scotland in such a historic event.’
Find out more about EventScoland's role in the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay.
Category: Industry News
