To mark six months to go until the start of the Paralympic Games, The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) has announced that Bath & North East Somerset Council will hold Flame Celebrations as part of the Paralympic Torch Relay.
Four Flames will be lit as part of a new concept for the Paralympic Torch Relay, one each in London, Greater Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff. Each nation will also host events celebrating the Flame Lightings.
The Flame Celebration in Bath will be held at the Recreation Ground on Saturday 25 August 2012.
The free event will be open to all, with an emphasis on children, young people and families, and will have the Paralympic values at its core. The evening celebrations will be ticketed so as not to exceed the 10,000 capacity at the venue. Further details of the event, including how to apply for tickets will be issued at a later date.
Councillor Paul Crossley (Lib-Dem, Southdown), Leader of Council and Member Champion for the Paralympics said: “It’s a tremendous honour for Bath & North East Somerset Council to host a Flame Celebration and be part of the London 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay.
“The University of Bath is the base for the ParalympicsGB team for London 2012, who are due to leave Bath for London from Sunday 26 August. We want to ensure that as a City we give them a huge community send-off and wish them the very best of luck. We plan to do this as part of our Flame Celebration on Saturday 25 August.”
A Flame Ambassador will attend one of the four Flame Lighting events and take part of the Flame back to the Flame Celebration in Bath. Bath & North East Somerset Council is working with ParalympicsGB to identify the most appropriate ambassador for both the City and Paralympic sport to collect the Flame.
Tim Hollingsworth, Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association, said: “We are delighted to be in the City for our preparation camp prior to the Paralympic Games and hope that people from all over Bath and North East Somerset will come along to the celebrations to welcome the Paralympic Flame. Great Britain is not just the host nation, it is the birthplace of the Paralympics and this summer’s Games will be like nothing before. We hope everyone will come and share in the excitement that the Torch Relay will bring.”
The Paralympic Flame Celebration is part of a packed year of celebrations from Bath & North East Somerset Council – with plans both sporting and cultural events district-wide to suit every taste, along with challenges to inspire all during 2012.
A total of 34 communities around the country have taken the opportunity to host Flame Celebrations and be part of the programme of events that will take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Director of Paralympic Integration at London 2012, Chris Holmes, said: “We are thrilled to announce that Bath will play host to a Flame Celebration. This new concept will involve people from all around the UK in the spirit of the Paralympic Movement in unique ways relevant to the area. I know that people from Bath and North East Somerset will get involved in this celebration and help ignite passion for the Paralympics across the UK.”
The four flames will be united at the Paralympic Flame Lighting Ceremony at Stoke Mandeville, the spiritual home of the Paralympic Movement to create the London 2012 Paralympic Flame. This flame will be carried on a 24-hour overnight Relay to London in time for the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games on 29 August.
