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Hereford Sixth Form College has won the opportunity for Mandeville, the London 2012 Paralympic mascot, to visit the Hereford School Games on Friday 2 July 9.30am by entering a competition through Get Set – the official London 2012 education programme. Mandeville will visit Herefordshire at the start of a journey around the UK, meeting new people, making new friends and trying new sports.

 

Visiting the Hereford Youth Games this Friday Mandeville will award pledge certificates to pupils, and join in the ‘warm up’ with pupils as they prepare to compete in their sporting activities.

 

Schools and colleges registered with Get Set were able to enter a competition to win a visit from Wenlock or Mandeville to their school and community, and be the first to meet them, and 12 schools from across the UK have won the opportunity. The London 2012 mascots will go on separate journeys, often crossing paths and meeting people all over the UK inspiring them to choose sport as they head towards the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

 

Hereford Sixth Form College won the opportunity following the launch of its Leadership Academy which encourages students across the whole College to assist with local sporting events in our Community. One of the main projects currently being undertaken by the Leadership Academy is the organisation and running of this Year's Herefordshire Youth Games, planned to coincide with National School Sports Week. This is an opportunity for these students to organise and run a large scale sporting event and has encouraged them to meet all of the Olympic and Paralympic values.

 

Students have contacted all the primary schools in the County and have 1,300 pupils expected to play sports for the whole day. They have organised the venue, the coaches and the programme as well as planning an Olympic and Paralympic based theme for the day. Students will also mentor volunteers from various Secondary Schools who will be helping at the festival. Schools entering have been allocated an Olympic or Paralympic Country and value which they will need to embody throughout the festival.

 

The College also have a number of Olympic and Paralympic Projects planned for next Academic Year which will tie in with the values. These include a whole College Olympic themed Festival where students can partake in, lead or officiate in 5 different sports played at the Olympics in addition to other roles available to students include writing press articles, doing promotions for events, photography and coaching. The day will promote the Olympic and Paralympic Values and ensure all students are aware of what the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will bring to their Country.

 

Sebastian Coe, London 2012 Chair, said: ‘I know Wenlock and Mandeville are incredibly excited to begin their journey around the UK by visiting Hereford and live the Olympic and Paralympic values. Our mascots were designed to inspire young people and connect them to the power of sport, whilst celebrating our proud Olympic and Paralympic history.’

 

Over 80 volunteers from local secondary schools and the local community will be helping the students on the day to run a successful event demonstrating how easy it is to give one hour or a day to helping people in their own communities.

 

In April 2010 the West Midlands Leadership Group for the 2012 Games launched a major new region-wide volunteering initiative, inspired by the London 2012 Games, Volunteers – We Need YOU! Events like the Hereford School Games demonstrate how easy it is to get involved and start volunteering in your local communities and reiterates the focus on securing a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Games, by increasing participation and awareness of volunteering opportunities across the West Midlands.

 

David Moorcroft, Chair of the West Midlands Leadership Group for the 2012 Games said: “Students at Hereford Sixth Form are delighted to be welcoming Mandeville to the Hereford Youth Games and to be the first to welcome Mandeville to the West Midlands. Initiatives such as Get Set and our regional volunteering programme, Volunteers – We Need YOU!, are just two ways people of all ages in the West Midlands can get involved now with, and be inspired by London 2012.”

 

Wenlock and Mandeville are already building an interest in sport with young people. Thousands have been voting on the London 2012 Mascots website to choose which sports they should learn next. So far Wenlock has learnt how to row and swim and Mandeville has learnt 5-a-side Football and Wheelchair Basketball. Wenlock and Mandeville currently have over 6,000 friends on Facebook, and 3,000 followers on Twitter. Visit www.london2012.com/mascots to vote on which sports they should learn next.

 

The number of schools and colleges registered with Get Set, the official London 2012 education programme, has risen by 1000 since it was announced that schools and colleges will be the first to decide Wenlock and Mandeville’s journeys around the UK through a competition. There are now over 13,000 schools and colleges registered with Get Set from across the UK.

 

Sebastian Coe added: ‘The excitement amongst young people is amazing and we’re thrilled to see that so many schools have registered with Get Set, since our mascots were announced.’

 

Schools and colleges that demonstrate a commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic values by using the Games to add value to the life of the school or college can apply to join the Get Set network. Being part of the Get Set network enables schools and colleges to gain access to exclusive rewards and opportunities from London 2012 including a plaque and a certificate and the right to use the London 2012 Education logo on the school or college sign, headed paper, website and newsletter. As a member of the Get Set network schools and colleges also receive access to great opportunities like exclusive Olympic Park tours, some members have already met Archbishop Desmund Tutu, had visits from Olympians and Paralympians, taken the chance to take part in the pilot of brand new London 2012 initiatives and entered into prize draws to win goodies from London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games sponsors, like digital cameras.