Olympic Torch will be in isles next summer

The Olympic Torch will be in Shetland next summer as part of a nationwide tour, it was announced today.

Lerwick is one of over 1,000 villages, towns and cities chosen by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) through which the Olympic Flame will be carried by torchbearers. It will be here on Sunday 10th June.

SIC political leader Josie Simpson said: “The arrival of the Olympic Torch represents a real opportunity to highlight Shetland’s strong commitment to sport and to celebrate our many sporting successes.

“Being the most northerly point in the torch relay will no doubt focus attention on Shetland and I would encourage as many people as possible to get out there on the 10th of June and give their support for this important national event.”

Executive manager of sport and leisure Neil Watt is thrilled that this celebration of sport is coming to Shetland.

“The torch relay is certainly bringing the 2012 Olympics closer to home. It’s a great way to mark the countdown to the games and to celebrate the achievements of our torchbearers who have all made a positive contribution to the local community.

“This is our opportunity to show the whole of the UK the pride we have in our sporting achievements and how Shetland can celebrate in style.”

Next month the successful torchbearer nominees for Shetland will be contacted with a conditional offer and final torchbearer places will start to be confirmed from February next year onwards.

The 70-day relay will start at Land’s End, Cornwall, on the morning of 19th May and the flame will travel an estimated 8,000 miles around the UK, including its visit to Shetland. The route means that over 95 per cent of the UK population will be within just 10 miles of the Olympic Flame next summer.

The street by street detail of the route will be confirmed next year. You can view the interactive map of the route at: www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelaymap
Today LOCOG also launches the Local Leaders initiative which invites people to create their own celebrations for next year’s Olympic Torch Relay and other key moments during the

Olympic and Paralympic Games. You can sign up to the Local Leader programme at www.london2012.com/localleaders

Also launched today is the Get Set for the Olympic Torch Relay education resource, available to all schools registered with Get Set, London 2012’s official education programme.

The aim of the resource is to provide schools with cross-curricular resources aimed at teachers working with three to 16 year olds to aid learning around history of Olympic Torch Relays, the design of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay and the torch itself.