Community Games Relay

Day 41 - Friday 28th June 2013

The CG Relay in Coventry celebrated Coventry City Council's £60k funding for Community Games over the past three years.

The Live Site was where the Olympic Torch Relay started the Paralympic Flame celebration was held. Community Games Organisers and local ambassadors will come together and promote the elements of the 2012 Legacy in Coventry, including the Coventry Ambassadors. Olympic Torchbearers from across the sub-region will form an arc around the Shining Light and the Lord Mayor or Leader of the Council will present them with their jersey.

Shining Light: Tim Rees

Tim is a volunteer at Foleshill Baptist Church and runs the Foodbank there. He has been chosen as the Shining Light because of all the work he has done in his community through the church and how he has engaged with the Community Games Programme. He looks for ongoing opportunities for participants in Community Games and works closely with the local governing bodies of sport. He organised a very successful three day Community Games last year and is doing the same again this year – "Sport In The Park" on 31st July to 2nd August. He also helped out at another event and ended up running that too. Tim has applied for funding to refurbish the toilet facilities at the church to allow the hall to be used more for sport and community activities, and is now looking at organising Sportivate sessions at the church hall, which is in a deprived area of Coventry, to encourage 11-25 year olds to become active and take up a sport. Last but not least, Tim has agreed to be a mentor for other Community Games Organisers.

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Day 42 - Saturday 29th June 2013

The event was the annual School Games Championships.

This is the biggest event of the year and sees dignitaries from every district in the county attending. The presentation to the Shining Light will take place as part of a designated VIP session. Last year at the School Games there were 910 young people taking part in 13 sports, with 74 young leaders supporting the event, along with a further 170 volunteers and event staff. 80 Primary, Secondary and Special Schools were involved.

Shining Light: Goff Lewis

Goff, who is the Cultural services Team Manager at North West Leicestershire District Council, has played an integral part in the success of the Community Games programme in Leicester-shire and Rutland. He is a key advocate of the programme and has worked tirelessly to promote the support and guidance on offer. He said, “The 2012 and 2013 Community Games invited ideas from the community to engage in active participation in a wide range of cultural and sporting activities and has given people the opportunity to try something new and have lots of fun. The positive successful outcomes of the Community Games funding, enabled many Partnerships to effectively work together to celebrate our country’s major events during 2012”

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Day 43 - Sunday 30th June 2013

A special event for community volunteers took place at Holy Trinity Church, in Essex Street in Norwich.

Holy Trinity Church sits on the edge of Jenny Lind Park, the venue for a Community Games on Saturday 29th June. The park is bordered by both a deprived estate and a more affluent area. The Community Games, which first took place in 2012, brings the two communities together. YMCA Norfolk will be bringing everyone together to recognise their commitment and hard work.

Shining Light: Tim Stapleford

Tim, a supply Primary School Teacher and member of Holy Trinity Church, established the Jenny Lind Community Games in 2012, which 350 people took part in. Tim has enthused Holy Trinity Church in Norwich to work in partnership with YMCA Norfolk to use Community Games as a way to reach people on the local estate. Tim also volunteers for the Norfolk Christian Football League, having been instrumental in its establishment.

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Day 44 - Monday 1st July 2013

The event was part of the Norfolk School Games.

Events on the day include Basketball, Wheelchair Basketball, Athletics and Table Tennis, and there will be between 250 and 300 young people taking part. The Shining Light will be presented with the jersey during the day.

Shining Light: Kerri Duncan

Kerri, who is a Conferences and Events Co-ordinator, is involved in lots of community activity and events, and has organised a Games for her village of Hevingham. She is a very community spirited person, gets people together to take part in several competitions throughout the year.

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Day 45 - Tuesday 2nd July 2013

Lowestoft Rugby Club ran a Touch Rugby session for local schoolchildren.

The club’s ground is just 100m from Ness Point, the most easterly point in the UK. Zoe Newson, the Paralympic Powerlifter, will be attending at about 2.00pm, and will join in with the rugby session. The Shining Light will then be presented with their jersey at Lowestoft Ness, having taken part in a Nordic Walk to get there.

Shining Light: Frances Bullard

Employed by Suffolk Constabulary as a PA, Frances is a dedicated local volunteer and has been involved in a large number of initiatives over the years including the Community Games in Kessingland. She is also Chair of Governors at the village Primary School, was on the Committee to organise the Jubilee celebrations and the Jubilee Fete (which the Community Games were part of) and a Big Lunch at the School. She has also been the Secretary of the Village Hangout youth project.

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Day 46 - Wednesday 3rd July 2013

The event was a photo opportunity celebrating the Shining Light.

The presentation to the Shining Light will be made at Southend YMCA and local media are invited to attend.

Shining Light: Kevin Read

Kevin, the Leisure Officer for Southend Borough Council, manages the Active Southend steering and networking group for sport in the area, and has helped promote and facilitate Community Games locally.

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Day 47 - Thursday 4th July 2013

The Community Games Relay stopped off at Hadleigh Farm, the Olympic Mountain bike venue.

A Community Games ceremony will be held – with an Olympic Torchbearer cycling the start and finish loop, with a Sportivate Cheerleading group cheering him on. There will be a Sprint relay event in the morning for children, a presentation to the Shining Light, then in the evening there will be adult events.

Shining Light: Jamie-Lee Bamford

Jamie-Lee, a pupil at Notley High School, Braintree, and her friend Oliver decided to create a BMX track on their local Village Hall Playing Fields where the Rayne Village Community Games was held last year and is returning this year. Last year's Community Games got members of the Community together to try new things of which Jamie Lee, Ollie and their friends and family were part of. They saw the potential for a BMX track at this community location, encouraging more young people to get on their bikes and do sport and exercise, as well as make new friends. Jamie gave a presentation at the school and to the Parish Council got the necessary support, before starting sponsored events to raise money, including a bike ride. Rayne Parish Council and Rayne Village Hall Committee donated towards the track, and a grant was obtained from The Big Society. The track is up and running now and will be officially opened at the Community Games in September.

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Day 48 - Friday 5th July 2013

The event celebrated two local Community Games.

Living Sport are organising a celebration and networking lunch at the Histon and Impington Recreation Ground, inviting local volunteers and other Community Games organisers from across the county. The main celebratory moment will be the presentation to the Shining Light.

Shining Light: Neil Davies

Neil, who works for Barclays Bank, was awarded Village Hero in 2012 for his dedication to the community for more than 25 years. Neil helps to organise the annual village feast, arranges community minibuses, serves as a school governor and parish councillor and helps with Histon Hornets Football Club. This year, on behalf of the Friends of Histon and Impington Recreation Ground, he organised The Histon and Impington 2012 + 1 Community Games event on 30th June - "A celebration of Olympic and Paralympic Sport for All". Demonstrating the impact of the Olympic and Paralympic Legacy, this was the first time paralympic activities had been included in events in the area. Neil has an infectious "can do" attitude to organising events and has inspired and pulled together a team of leaders from local sports clubs and disability sports associations, along with eye-opening advice from Mark Taylor, quadriplegic parish councillor and community volunteer. He is a worthy recipient of the Shining Light award, and as he says, "A village becomes a community when people go out of their way to help others and bring people together."

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Day 49 - Saturday 6th July 2013

The event was part of a two day Community Games Sports Zone at the Waterside Festival in Becket’s Park, Northampton.

A mammoth Ping Pong table tennis tournament has been organised as part of the Ping (Table Tennis Governing Body) initiative. People will have the opportunity to play against table tennis champions and local celebrities, and the games will be showcased on a giant screen, before Wimbledon starts that day. There will also be taster sessions, a World record attempt to get the most number of people as possible in a rally without a mistake, and exhibitions by England table tennis stars of the past, present and future, including Desmond Douglas.

Shining Light: Kevin Bird

Kevin, who runs his own company, Matrix Digital Data, has been an instrumental Chairman of Westfield Table Tennis Club for the last four years, as well as the Secretary for the club, plus co-ordinating all league teams, which is no mean feat with team in six different leagues. Kevin also coaches the Intermediate squad on a Friday evening, as well as hosting the open club night. The club hosts around 50 local, regional and national competitions each year, and Kevin is the mainstay of the team running these. He helps to set up the venue, run the competition, and the catering, often even preparing the food! Kevin also volunteers for the County Table Tennis Association and the East Midlands region, helping to coach the junior squads, as well as travelling at weekends to coach one of the county teams. He occasionally supports the regional training as a volunteer and to back all his volunteering up, Kevin is a qualified UKCC Level 2 coach, county umpire and tournament organiser. Amazingly Kevin actually finds the time to play himself and is ranked in the top 20 in the county.

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Day 50 - Sunday 7th July 2013

The event took place at the Herts Youth Games at Wodson Sports Park.

The Herts Youth Games has been running for over 15 years. At the event 200-300 children will position themselves into the middle of the sports hall and hold a piece of coloured card above their heads to create an image of the Olympic torch. The Shining Light will then be presented with their jersey, by the Mayor and a local athlete, next to the torch.

Shining Light: Tony Marmo

Tony, an Event Manager, is the Head Coach of Hertfordshire Warriors, a thriving and successful basketball club. The club aims to offer opportunities for everyone to play basketball, no matter what their level or ability. Tony encourages both players and parents to become involved with the club as team managers, referees, coaches, officials, which enhances the family atmosphere at the club. As with all clubs, there are unofficial roles and Tony takes on these too; visiting injured players, supporting families when needed, and he can even be found sweeping the gym floor before training to ensure it is safe and clean for the players. Tony is always keen to involve the whole family in the club and has now organised two Community Games to bring everyone together, bring new people into the club and above all to make sure everyone has fun!

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