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London 2012 Summer roadshow Launches on 15th June

London 2012 will kick off its annual summer Roadshow on 15th June in Greenwich, London.

A special branded Roadshow bus will visit Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and each of the nine regions within England, ending its journey in Stoke Mandeville on 29th August, marking five years to go to the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The Roadshow’s theme is ‘Join In’, encouraging sports participation, particularly amongst young people, and coaching, and is organised by the London 2012 Organising Committee, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), Sport England and national sports councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and The National Lottery.

At each of its 27 stops in a ten-week tour of the UK, the Roadshow will offer taster sessions in a range of traditional and exciting new sports for visitors to try. Professional sports advisors will also be on hand to encourage visitors to find out more about sporting clubs and facilities in each location.

The Roadshow will also contain a National Lottery ‘Dream Statistics’ zone, to enable visitors to see how their statistics – including height, weight, and muscle power– might make them suited to different sports.

London 2012 Chair Sebastian Coe will attend the first event in Greenwich, and Ministers, local MPs and sporting ambassadors will attend regional events throughout the tour.

The Roadshow will carry London 2012’s new brand mark, which will be launched in London on 4th June.

Seb Coe commented: “The London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games are the UK’s Games. This year’s Roadshow will show the whole country how everyone can be part of the 2012 Games, and everyone can benefit from the legacy long after the final race has been won.

“Improving sports participation has long been one of our most important legacy objectives from the Games, and this year’s Roadshow will focus on just that. Every visitor at every event will have a range of opportunities to try new sports and learn about sports facilities in their local area. This country already has a passion for sport – and deepening that passion for playing sport and coaching sport will be an important legacy which will outlast us all.”

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said: “I am determined to ensure that these will be a Games for the whole UK. That is why we are launching the second UK-wide Roadshow to take 2012’s message and inspiration to every corner of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“Last year the focus was on ‘being part’ of the 2012 experience. This year it will be on the big Olympic and Paralympic ambition – motivating people to take part in sport.

“Winning the right to host the Games has given us an extraordinary opportunity to transform sport in the UK – providing the inspiration, facilities and environment to radically increase participation, for both the able-bodied and those with disabilities.

“In addition, we’ll use the Roadshow as an opportunity to take our ideas for the exciting wider legacy from 2012 to the UK so people have a chance to contribute their views at this crucial stage.”

Jennie Price, Chief Executive at Sport England, commented: “We want people to participate in sport as enthusiastically as we watch it and debate it. The Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2012 have the power to inspire us all to play sport and we must make sure that everyone, wherever they live, benefits from them.”

Dianne Thompson, Chief Executive of Camelot Group plc, said: “The National Lottery is playing a major role in funding the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, and the Roadshow represents a great opportunity to highlight this and thank Lottery players for their fantastic contribution. Over £3 billion of National Lottery funding has been invested in sport across the UK since 1994, and, given that the Lottery is all about creating winners, we hope that the Roadshow will encourage even more people in their pursuit of sporting glory!”

- Ends -

Notes to Editors –

Roadshow schedule:

13th June
London
Photocall with Roadshow Bus/London 2012 VIPS

15th
London
Launch-Greenwich Sportathon

17th
South West
Ironman Triathlon, Exmoor

20th – 21st
East Midlands
Lincolnshire Show

23rd – 24th
Scotland
The Outsider Festival, Cairngorms National Park

27th – 28th   
East of England
Royal Norfolk Show

30th             
East Midlands
Northamptonshire Youth Games

1st July
London
London Youth Games, Crystal Palace

4th               
North East
Middlesbrough Festival

6th – 7th       
London
Grand Depart of Tour de France

8th               
East of England
Suffolk Youth Games

10th             
Wales
Llangollen International  Musical Eisteddfod

13th - 14th
South East
Kent Show

15th             

London
Rise Festival, Finsbury Park

19th             
North East
Northumberland Street Games

21st             
South West
K Festival, Newquay

23rd – 24th   
Wales
Royal Welsh Show, Builth Wells

27th             
London
Special event to mark five years to 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, Waltham Forest,

1st  August
Northern Ireland
National Playday, Belfast

3rd
Northern Ireland
Milk Cup International Youth Football Tournament

5th               
North West
Chester Races

15th             
West Midland
The Main Event, Stafford

18th             
Yorkshire
Eureka! The Museum for Children, Halifax

19th              
Yorkshire
Fun Athletics Festival, Castleford

22nd             
North West
European Hockey Championships, Manchester

24th             
Scotland
Blair Castle International Horse Trials and Country Fair

26th            
West Midlands
UK School Games, Coventry

29th             
South East
Special event to mark five years to 2012 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony, Stoke Mandeville
  • On most occasions, the Roadshow is being hosted by existing public events for which an admission charge may be made. A small number of events, for instance children's sports festivals, may not offer admission to the general public.
  • The first 2012 Roadshow in July 2006 visited 65 locations, travelling 3,355 miles over a three week period. Further details can be found at http://www.london2012.org/en/gettinginvolved/2012+Roadshow/   
  • National Lottery funding will contribute up to £2.2 billion* towards the cost of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympics Games.  £750 million of Good Causes money raised by sales of designated lottery games, such as the draw-based game Dream Number and certain Scratchcards and interactive games, will go towards funding the provision of facilities and supporting infrastructure of the 2012 Games.
    *Subject to Parliamentary approval
  • Sport England exists to sustain and increase participation in community sport. It is a non-departmental public body and Lottery distributor. Our ambition is to get two million people participating more in sport by 2012. We do this by promoting, advising and investing in community sport.

For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 100 or visit the website at www.london2012.com.

Find out the latest from London 2012 HQ on our Work in Progress blog http://blog.london2012.com

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