With less than 200 days to go until the 2012 Olympic Games, many of you may be feeling out of touch with the whole thing, particularly if you missed out on tickets. But the action’s not just in London. Reporter Sian Davies finds out what’s happening behind the scenes a little closer to home.
When we think of Bedfordshire’s involvement with the London 2012 Olympic Games our thoughts immediately turn to our own sporting heroes.
But it is not just Britain’s talented sportsmen and women who are putting the county on the Olympic map.
Bedfordshire and Luton’s London 2012 Group (BOOST) have already signed agreements with The Maldives, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Lesotho, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia, Uganda and Morocco to bring their athletes to Bedford for pre-games preparations.
The town will welcome participants from a host of different events including athletics, badminton, table-tennis, power lifting, boccia, judo, swimming and shooting. A further eight teams have also expressed interest in coming to the town and are currently in discussions.
Lloyd Conaway, chairman of BOOST, said: “I think we all know stories and criticisms of London 2012, that it will be too London-centric, but it is really aiming to touch people across the country and give them a flavour of the sport and culture of the Olympic games.
“We want the teams to not just come to the athletics stadium and use the facilities but get involved in events that can help inspire people in Bedfordshire.” In his role at Team Beds and Luton, Mr Conaway is working PLANNING FOR GAMES: Lloyd Conaway, chairman of BOOST to help achieve the Government’s legacy for mass participation through schemes such as Sportivate and Get Back Into.
He said: “There is a lot of work to be done if we are to get more people involved but we hope the games can be a starting point.
Other games such as the Sydney Olympics, which were great, saw no increase in public participation so it is a tough task.
“There are lots of reasons for people not getting involved such as bad experiences or disliking competition. I think people don’t want you to start preaching about health, they just want something fun where they can meet up with friends.” Events will be taking place both during and in the build-up to the games in a bid to bring the spirit of the competition to the county, including the Olympic Torch passing through Bedford Borough on July, 8.
Borough Mayor Dave Hodgson said: “We have been working closely with the organisers to ensure we are able to showcase all that Bedford has to offer and to give local people a chance to experience the torch relay close to home.” Plans have also been announced for the Bedford International Athletic Stadium to play host to a live site where the local community can come together to enjoy the action on a big screen and even take part in some sports themselves.
Mr Hodgson added: “The events we put on will be free and open to all, and I hope the stadium proves to be a superb focal point for local residents to enjoy during the games.
“There are concerns that people won’t come out to support these events but we are currently in discussions about how to promote them and get more people involved.” Bedfordshire’s Emergency Services are also getting ready for the tournament.
A spokesman for Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service said: “We are currently in liaison with other agencies and other rescue services.
“There will be extra multiagency training exercises taking place with a more local view.
This will involve dealing with additional traffic flow and the increase in the number of people in the county and its implications for the community.” A spokeswoman for Bedfordshire Police said they’re still in discussions with the borough council about the route of the torch and that they may be sending some officers down to London.
Sian Davies
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