MORE than 20 organisations have joined forces in Dorset to orchestrate the smooth running of the sailing competition and associated events for the London 2012 Games.

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has been described in organisation and resource terms as ‘the largest single project undertaken in the UK for over 70 years’.

A series of working groups in the county, collectively known as the Weymouth and Portland 2012 Operations Group, have the responsibilities of transport, visitors, culture, health and safety, communications, security and volunteering.

Key contacts for each of the groups will be bringing insight to their activities through a weekly column in the Dorset Echo.

Here’s Simon Williams, head of Weymouth and Portland 2012 Operations: So why is there a ‘Cultural Olympiad’?… Well when the Games first started in Greece in 700BC, art, poetry and music were as important as sports.

It has developed strongly in recent Games and here in Weymouth and Portland, plans are being made for a range of exciting musical artistic and theatrical presentations, which will provide a rich tapestry of events.

As ever with the arts, funding is difficult and the programme will be finalised over coming months.

More good news this week for Weymouth Beach which will be one of our showcases in 2012... it has been voted by Trip Advisor’s website contributors as the fourth best in the UK.

This will no doubt be of interest to the team of Belgian journalists who will be visiting the borough shortly to check up and report on 2012 preparations...another example of international interest in Dorset.

Community engagement is a top priority for the operations team whose members have given over 70 presentations on 2012 to local and national organisations over the past 15 months.

This programme is being extended over the next year with local community groups being offered the opportunity for a talk...but any local organisation is invited to contact the team if they would like to make arrangements.

Weymouth College’s 2012 ambassadors are working on a number of projects; one focused on getting young people volunteering, the second inspired idea is aimed at securing some ‘pay as you go’ bicycles installed throughout the borough for 2012 so that people can get around and stay fit in the process.

Royal Manor students are also actively engaged with colleagues in London and involved in a number of exciting joint sailing projects...more on this later.

Further 2012-inspired educational projects are planned for 2011 and into 2012, linked to the ‘GET SET’ programme.

Finally a quote: “To Strive...To Seek...To Find...and Not to Yield’ from Tennyson’s Ulysses and chosen by the public and the poet laureate to help inspire Olympic and Paralympic athletes when they visit the UK next year.