Lord Coe, Chair of London 2012 and personal supporter of ‘Join In’,
People across the Isle of Wight are being invited to open days at their local sports clubs this weekend, as over 5,000 sports events take place across the country to harness the enthusiasm generated by the Games.
Thanks to Katie Ellison of the Cabinet Press Office (London) for sending through the press release (below* Thursday, 16th August) of ‘Join In’ events taking place on the Isle of Wight.
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16th August 2012: Try badminton for free! 8pm at Ryde Kings Badminton Club.
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18th August 2012 9:00am Free 5km Timed Run Medina I.O.W. Parkrun
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19th August 2012: Underwater Hockey (Also known as Octopush) Fun Trial Session £2 6.15pm-7.15pm. At Waterside Pool, Ryde.
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19th August 2012: Club Triathlon Championships Freshwater.
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22nd August 2012: Junior Golf Fun day, a whole day filled with fun golf skills challenges. From ages 5-15, all equipment can be provided, only £35 pp inc lunch. Hosted by Westridge Golf Centre, Brading Road, Ryde.
PRESS RELEASE:
‘Join In Local Sport’ is an independent charity funded by government which has been operating for the last few months with the specific aim of getting as many people as possible from the local community to turn up, take part and join in at their local sports facilities this weekend 18th and 19th of August.
Sporting icons Daley Thompson, Sharron Davies and Jonathan Edwards will join forces to complete a cross-country challenge visiting sports clubs around the country this weekend, anchored by broadcaster John Inverdale.
Among the events taking place across the Isle of Wight include Underwater Hockey at the Waterside Pool, free Archery tasters run by Waterside Archers and Badminton at the Ryde Sports Centre.
Over the past few months sport clubs and communities across the UK have been preparing for the unparalleled enthusiasm for sport that they knew hosting the Games in the UK would generate. Thousands of sports clubs have signed up to the grass roots Join In campaign and will hold open days at locations all over the country this weekend. People will be able to try out more than three dozen sports, from athletics to swimming, to canoeing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey and karate. People should go to www.joininuk.org and find out what’s happening near them.
The initiative is being backed by Team GB medal winners past and present, HRH the Duke of Cambridge as well as Prime Minister David Cameron MP and London 2012 Chairman, Lord Coe.
Lord Coe, Chair of London 2012 and personal supporter of ‘Join In’, said:
“We are really happy to support the ‘Join In’ project, it is a great idea that means that thousands of people across the UK can turn up and take part in local sports just after the Olympic Games finishes.
“Millions will have been inspired by what they have witnessed over the summer and I hope this creates opportunities in every community for people to join in their local sports clubs.”
Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd said:
“We backed ‘Join In Local Sport’ with £2 million so that we can get thousands of people down to their local sports clubs this weekend to find out what sporting opportunities are available in their local area.
“We want to use the Games to inspire a new generation of sports people but we also want to inspire a new generation of volunteers, which is why I am urging people to go down to their local sports club to find out how they can get involved.”
The former Olympic champions and London 2012 Olympic pundit will tour the length and breadth of Britain aboard the Join in “Battle Bus”, which will stop off to visit events at local sports clubs, encouraging the local community to join in as they go.
The sporting greats will be joined by current Olympians over the weekend as they make surprise appearances, take part in activities, try out a new sports and offer a helping hand to the volunteers to make the ‘Join In’ message as impactful as possible.
David Moorcroft, former 5,000m world record holder and Director of Sport at Join In, said:
“No host country has ever done what we are trying to do with the ‘Join In’ weekend and that is to capture this magic moment for all time. The ‘Join In’ weekend is a great opportunity to harness the enthusiasm generated by the Games, for sport and for volunteering, and channel it through local sports clubs – which is where every great champion starts out.”
Christine Ohuruogu, MBE, 400 metres gold medallist at the Beijing Games and silver medallist at the London 2012 Olympics, said:
“Let’s all take advantage of the spirit of London 2012 by joining in this weekend and going back to where it all begins at your local sports clubs.”
Join In events will be taking place in villages, towns and cities up and down the country, with Sharron Davies , John Inverdale and Daley Thompson kicking off their ‘Battle Bus’ tour from Glasgow on Friday 17th August before visiting clubs in the South East on Sunday 19 August.
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