30 August 2011
Chris Holmes visits Merseyside to celebrate one year to go to
the Paralympic Games
Chris Holmes, Paralympic gold medallist and Head of
Paralympic Integration for London 2012, is visiting Merseyside on
31st August to celebrate one year to go to the Paralympic Games.
Chris will also be promoting the opportunity to see the Paralympics
in 2012 – tickets will go on sale on the 9th September
2011.
The visit will start in Guinea Gap Swimming Pool to meet with
participants from the Wirral Disability Swimming Programme. This
Programme, which has been awarded the London 2012 Inspire Mark,
demonstrates how the Northwest is contributing to the Paralympic
Games, with young swimmers having an opportunity to get involved in
sporting projects inspired by the Games.
Afterwards, Chris will visit Liverpool John Moores University,
which is providing a wealth of support for elite Paralympic
athletes in their world-class sport science facilities. There will
be a tour of the facilities, a demonstration of their London 2012
Inspire project, Face-to-Face with Sport Science, followed by lunch
and an opportunity to meet Paralympic athletes, including
15-year-old Jack Hunter-Spivey. Jack recently earned his place in
the British Table Tennis Disabled World Class Performance Squad
2011 and is the Merseyside Young Sports Personality of the
Year.
The hugely successful Balloons Inspire Project, led by students
at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, will also showcase
how the Olympic and Paralympic values are being spread throughout
the region to help raise the aspirations of young people in
Merseyside.
The last stop will be at Kirkby Sports College, a Get Set
Network School, which is the Paralympic Training Camp venue for the
Romanian and Namibian Paralympic teams.
The day will be full of demonstrations, showing how the
Northwest is getting involved and ready for the Paralympic Games,
with information available throughout the day about how people can
still get involved.
Chris Holmes, Director of Paralympic Integration at
London 2012 said:
“I’m delighted to be here in Merseyside today. One of the
privileges of my role at London 2012 is that I get the opportunity
to travel around the UK finding out about some of the truly
fantastic projects that are going on, inspired by the London 2012
Paralympic Games and it is fantastic to know there are so many
people taking part in activities like this one. Tickets for the
London 2012 Paralympic Games go on sale from 9th until 26th
September 2011 and I’d like to encourage everyone here today and
people from across the Northwest to get involved, grab the
opportunity to apply for tickets, and come down to London for what
will be a phenomenal summer of sport.”
Andy Worthington, Chair of the Northwest Steering Group for
the 2012 Games, said: “The Northwest region is making a
great contribution to delivering a fantastic Paralympic Games
whether it be through projects in the Inspire Programme, schools
getting involved in the Get Set Education Programme or in hosting
Paralympic Training Camps. The projects and the sheer number of
people that have managed to get involved is inspiring. I’m
delighted that the region is already benefiting from both the
Paralympic and Olympic Games.”
Cllr. Chris Meaden, Wirral Council Cabinet Member for
Culture, Tourism and Leisure, said: “We are delighted to
welcome such a decorated Paralympian to Wirral. I’m sure the young
swimmers who are on our Disability Swim Programme will benefit
greatly from meeting Chris and, who knows, may be inspired to
emulate his achievements one day.”
Ben Brown of the Balloons Project, commented:
“The four Paralympic values of determination, equality, courage and
inspiration are already inspiring projects in the Northwest, as
part of London 2012’s Get Set Network, the Inspire Programme and
the Cultural Olympiad. Over the last two years, as part of The
Balloons Project, LIPA students and pupils from twelve schools and
colleges in the region have united in taking the Olympic and
Paralympic values as inspiration for the creative, performing and
visual arts.
“We have found it is the Paralympic Four that have often
produced the most emotive, moving and engaging work by our
students, whether able bodied or disabled themselves. Truly
highlighting the impact the Paralympics can have; not only in
sport, but also in culture, education and society in general.”
Cllr. Eddie Connor, Cabinet Member for Leisure,
Community and Culture, said: “I’m delighted to welcome
Chris to Knowsley and showcase our fantastic facilities available
in the borough. We will continue to work with our local residents,
school children, as well as elite athletes, helping to inspire them
to take up a new sport or develop their sporting abilities even
further.”
Professor Keith George, from Liverpool John Moores
University, added: “RISES is the home of world-class
research that underpins the performance of elite athletes in many
sports including those taking part in the Paralympics and Olympics
in London next year. Combining our research with on-going public
engagement though Face-to-Face with Sport Science and the Inspire
programme, we hope to inform and educate all about the importance
of sport and physical activity for all members of society. With
this in mind, we are very excited and honoured to welcome Chris
Holmes to the state-of-the-art Tom Reilly Building.”
There are plenty more opportunities for people to still get
involved in the countdown to the Paralympic Games and tickets will
go on sale from 9th to 26th September, for people to really make
the most of the Games coming to London. To get your tickets for the
Games, visit www.tickets.london2012.com.
Full details of what is happening and how to get involved can be
found at: www.nwbeinspired.com.
--- ENDS ---
Notes to editors
For further information please contact Charlene Ugbode on 01925
400123 or charlene.ugbode@nwda.co.uk
or Shelley Tattersall on 01925 400256 or shelley.tattersall@nwda.co.uk.
For urgent out of hours press enquiries please call 01925
400259.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency works to deliver
economic success in England’s Northwest by building the
competitiveness of its businesses, people and places. Utilising our
technical expertise and strategic influence, we help the region’s
250,000+ businesses to develop and grow, as well as supporting
international trade and encouraging inward investment.
For further information and to view previous press releases
visit us at www.nwda.co.uk/press.
Northwest Steering Group for the 2012 Games
The region’s legacy plans have been developed and are being
driven by the Northwest Steering Group, chaired by Andy Worthington
(the Northwest member on the London 2012 Nations & Regions
Group). The Steering Group brings together key partners responsible
for each legacy theme, representatives from each sub-region in the
Northwest, and key regional and Government agencies including the
Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). Further information
about work in the Northwest linked to the Games can be found on the
website www.nwbeinspired.com.
London 2012 Inspire Programme recognises projects, programmes
and events that are innovative, exemplary and are genuinely
inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic Games coming to the UK.
There are just over 1,500 projects currently part of the Inspire
Programme, with 210 of these based in the Northwest. For more
details on the London 2012 Inspire Programme in the Northwest,
visit www.nwbeinspired.com/.