Medals

WITH one week to go until the application window for tickets for the Paralympic Games closes, the London 2012 Paralympic Games medals have been unveiled.

The medals are now on show to the public at the British Museum in a new Cultural Olympiad display.

They have been designed by Lin Cheung, a practicing jewellery artist and senior lecturer at Central Saint Martin’s College of Arts and Design, London.

In 2012, more than 2,100 Paralympic medals will be presented in 502 Paralympic victory ceremonies in more than 19 venues over 11 days of competition. Seb Coe, LOCOG chairman, said: “British Paralympic athletes have had great medal success at previous Games – winning 102 medals at the Beijing 2008 Games alone.”

He encouraged people to apply for tickets to the Paralympic Games ‘to see these medals being hung around the neck of British athletes next summer.’ The medals will go into production later this year at Royal Mint’s headquarters in Llantrisant, South Wales.

Sticker campaign

Portland Town Mayor Ian Munro-Price, above, is proudly backing the Bring on the Games sticker campaign.

He is welcoming the 2012 sailing events as an unprecedented and priceless publicity boost for the island and has snapped up one of fantastic 10,000 window stickers produced by the Dorset Echo, the borough’s 2012 operations team, the Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce and NHS Dorset’s Team Dorset Challenge.

Mr Munro-Price, who is also a director of Red House Estate Agent in Fortuneswell, said: “Portland was obviously already on the map but this is going to bring awareness of us to many, many people from other parts of the UK and around the world.

“It’s the tourist promotional package we could never afford to do.

“Think of the TV coverage, we’ll get increased visitor numbers and it will become a more desirable place to live, my biggest hope is the publicity might encourage individuals to settle their businesses here.”

Volunteers' courses

THE very last funded course to gain a qualification in event volunteering is starting next week at Weymouth College.

From Monday, the free eight-week Event Volunteering course, partly funded by the European social fund, will run three days a week.

Lecturer Heather Thompson: “We have some great success stories of previous course participants.

“With momentum about the Olympics gathering pace, we believe locals can gain a personal advantage from it. It’s for all ages and includes 20 hours of voluntary work. It’s particularly suitable for people who regularly coach kids, volunteers and scout leaders as it covers health and safety and emergency awareness. The course would be great for people who need a useful qualification to benefit their CV and get back into employment, anyone who wants to develop their confidence and communication skills or to be ambassadors for the Olympics.”

The course is for the economically inactive, not those already in employment, call 01305 208987 to book a place.

Business impact

BUSINESSES and affected local residents are expected to be updated on the Local Area Traffic management and Parking Plan for the 2012 sailing events this month.

Dorset County Council has been asked by Olympic Delivery Authority and the London Organising Committee (LOCOG) to complete the Local Area Traffic management and Parking Plan (LATMP), in addition to the Olympic Route Network and the Last Mile.

LOCOG and Government Olympic Executive (GOE) will provide funding and implementation.

The council has developed its Traffic Coordination Centre and is introducing the Geographic Information System (GIS) ‘Voyager’ system for monitoring and managing traffic flows on Dorset’s roads. The mechanism for informing traffic before they arrive in the South Dorset area, is under consideration by the Highway Agency and Department for Transport.