2012 stickers

A FLORIST has created a flower-shaped display out of Bring on the Games stickers in Weymouth town centre.

Fiona Penny, who owns a shop in St Thomas Street, is supporting the window sticker campaign, launched by the Dorset Echo, Weymouth and Portland 2012 Operations team, the borough’s Chamber of Commerce and NHS Dorset’s Team Dorset Challenge.

Fiona said: “There has been so much negativity about the Olympics that I just got fed up with it.

“I thought ‘Come on, let’s create some enthusiasm, get the stickers up in the window and show that as a small business I really support it.’”

“I haven’t got a contract to supply flowers for the 2012 Games although I have been on CompeteFor to be in with a chance.

“I supplied the test event with bouquets and it was great publicity.”

She added: “I’m pushing my business forward and doing a lot of marketing, hoping to have a little slice of the excitement.

“The 2012 Games is great for the town, we might not make a lot of money out of it but it will be a good buzzy year, better than normal.”

Education

A NEW initiative has been launched to encourage schools across the UK to support Olympic and Paralympic teams around the world in the run up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games next summer.

The scheme will help students prepare for the arrival of athletes and visitors from around the world to their towns, cities and communities ahead of the Games. Launched to coincide with International Education Week, the new initiative called ‘Support a Team’, a major new strand of Get Set Goes Global is part of the official London 2012 education programme.

Schools will be encouraged to learn about the athletes and cultures of their chosen teams, All schools can access free learning resources at london 2012.com/getsetgoesglobal Resources designed to help young people get behind the athletes competing for Team GB and ParalympicsGB will be available via the Get Set website in the new year.

Tourism

TODAY hoteliers, guest house owners and Tourism businesses will be gathering in Weymouth to receive guidance on Weymouth and Portland Olympic preparations.

London 2012 officials and borough council representatives are hosting a presentation and workshop at the Centenary Club at Weymouth’s Jubilee Retail and Business Park from 10am until 1.30pm.

The event, followed by lunch and networking, will enable tourism businesses find out about the local area traffic management parking plan and the travel and transport impact of the Games, plus guidance on how businesses can start planning now.

It is part of a regular borough workshops programme that will continue until April.

Places are limited to 70 people and offered on a first-come-first-served basis, email Jess Rice on j.rice@westdorsetweymouth.gov.uk

Questions

HAVE you got questions about how the Games coming to Dorset, Weymouth and Portland will affect you as a local resident or business owner?

Meet the people responsible for delivering a whole range of Olympic projects here in Dorset at this week’s open public drop-in sessions.

Entry is free, drop-ins will be held tomorrow at the Community 2000 Centre, 6 Straits, Easton, Portland from 12pm to 3pm and 4.30pm to 6.30pm.

On Thursday at Weymouth, Community Safety Centre, Radipole Lane and on Friday in Dorchester’s Dorford Centre, in Bridport Road, both from 12pm to 3pm and 5pm to 8pm.

A general presentation will be held at each location at 1pm and at 6pm.

Tickets

REMAINING tickets for the London 2012 Paralympic Games will go on sale on a first come, first served basis at 1pm on Friday, December 2, 2011.

Following unprecedented interest, 800,000 tickets were allocated to more than 100,000 people through September’s initial public application phase.

Tickets have sold out for the Paralympic Track Cycling and Wheelchair Rugby but there is still good availability elsewhere, including athletics at the Olympic Stadium, ExCeL and Olympic Park day passes and wheelchair Basketball at the North Greenwich Arena.

Full price tickets start at £10, while tickets for young people and seniors cost £5.

Visit tickets.london2012.com or call 0844 847 2012.