Flames scoops Olympic Vision Award

The Award, which was decided by a public vote, was presented by Antoine DeNavacelle, great-grand-nephew of Pierre de Coubertin who founded the modern Olympic Games. The honour recognises the project which most successfully fulfils Coubertin’s vision of using the Olympic Games to unite sport, culture, and education in celebration.

Podium, the Further and Higher Education Unit for the 2012 Games, hosted a star studded evening which was attended by more than 350 guests from universities and colleges across the UK. Special guests included the London 2012 CEO, Paul Deighton, International Paralympic Committee CEO, Xavier Gonzalez and host for the evening, Channel 4’s Rick Edwards.

 Flames won with 35% of the over 7,000 votes which were cast by the public over the last week.

The Flames: Lighting the way programme is a partnership between the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Loughborough College and is delivered by the BHF National Centre. The project was developed to establish an active legacy for children and young people inspired by the 2012 Games.

The programme has so far trained 25,000 young leaders to deliver fun Olympic-themed sport and health activities to over 50,000 younger children; culminating in a number of festivals organised by students, which recreate the Olympic torch relay where all children get to run with Loughborough College’s genuine 1948 Olympic torch.

There was double success on the night as Loughborough College received the Get Set Silver Award for Inspiring Outstanding Learning through the London 2012 Games on behalf of the programme.

Anna Chalkey, Flames Programme Manager for the BHF National Centre, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award, particularly as it was voted for by the public. We’d like to thank the programme’s partners, Loughborough College and the British Heart Foundation but most of all the universities, colleges and young leaders who engaged with Flames and recognised what we set out to do with the programme; to establish an activity legacy for all children and young people.”

Rob Jarram, Sports Development Officer at Loughborough College said: “We are delighted to receive this award. Flames is creating a fantastic legacy to help get children and young people active before, during and after the London 2012 Games and it is amazing to have it recognised in this way. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the programme as well as Commander Collins who donated his own torch from the 1948 Olympic torch relay to Loughborough College and made all this possible through the power of the torch.”

For more information on the Flames programme visit www.flameslightingtheway.co.uk