News Release
15 August 2008
Olympic Handover Flag to be raised at Leigh Park Gardens to
celebrate Handover Day
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games announced
today that an Olympic Handover Flag will be raised at Leigh Park
Gardens to celebrate the moment when London becomes the official
Olympic Games Host City, on Sunday 24th August.
A first in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the
iconic London Olympic Handover Flag will be raised simultaneously
with regions around the UK. The Olympic Handover Flag in Leigh Park
Gardens will be one of over 500 flags delivered to locations
including HM Armed Forces, embassies around the world, City Halls,
British Council offices and Foreign and Commonwealth offices.
Kyle Hanna, Sports Development Officer at Havant Borough Council
says, “The Olympics is much more than just a sporting event. It
inspires, motivates and engages people of all ages in a unique way
that other events simply cannot. The Olympics especially in 2012
will leave a lasting legacy that Havant Borough residents can
enjoy. I hope that residents will be inspired to become more
physically active and perhaps try a new sport. We want our
residents to enjoy healthy, active lives. We also want the Olympics
to encourage people to volunteer in sport and in the Borough we
have many excellent sports clubs that would love to have more
volunteers and more participants of all ages.”
The flag-raising is also forms part of the Tribute Finale of the
Staunton Live! 2008 event. At this free event residents will be
treated to great music from The Indigo Pilots, Saturday Night
Beaver and Chinese Elvis. The Mayor of Havant will raise the
Olympic flag at 3pm and Horizon Leisure Trust will be there to
promote sport and leisure facilities in the borough and run mass
participation exercises in between shows! Staunton Live! 2008 will
start at 1pm and finish at 4pm.
Amongst the locations in the UK, Olympic Handover Flags will be
raised at landmark areas such as the Unst in the Shetland Isles,
the most northerly point in the UK and Land’s End in Cornwall, the
most southerly point. Flags will also be raised at Lowestoft, the
most easterly town in England and the Isles of Scilly, the most
westerly point.
Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee, Sebastian Coe
said: ‘When the Mayor of London accepts the Olympic Flag on 24th
August, the eyes of the world will turn to London and the UK as the
next Summer Host City. It is a very important and exciting moment
for us, and we want as many people as possible to join in the
Handover celebrations. We are delighted that so many local
authorities share our excitement and are proudly displaying the
Olympic Handover Flag to mark this very special moment on our
journey to 2012.”
Councillor Chris White, Chair of the LGA’s Culture, Tourism and
Sport board, said: “While the Olympic Games in 2012 are happening
in London, it’s clear there’s strong support for them throughout
the length and breadth of the country. More than 400 councils have
arranged parties and flag-raising events for August 24th to mark
the start of an exciting four years. Authorities are already
investing in sports facilities and promoting healthier living to
ensure the legacy of the Olympic Games will be long-lasting. This
is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for every part of the country to
enjoy a boom in business, tourism and sporting excellence, and
councils are ready to seize the opportunity.”