London 2012 Olympic Flame to Visit Knowsley Safari Park

Day 14: Olympic Flame to Visit Knowsley Safari Park and Cross The Mersey on Journey from Bolton to Liverpool

On Friday 1 June, the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay – presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung – will travel from Bolton to Liverpool. The Olympic Flame will travel 93.82 miles through 17 communities.

(PRWEB) June 01, 2012

On Friday 1 June, the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay – presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung – will travel from Bolton to Liverpool. The Olympic Flame will travel 93.82 miles through 17 communities. 

• On Day 14 the Relay will travel 93.82 miles
• 157 inspirational Torchbearers will carry the Flame
• Evening celebration to take place at the Pierhead
• Images from the day will be available to download from here throughout the day

157 Torchbearers will carry the Flame before it arrives at the Evening Celebration in Liverpool where a cauldron will be lit to mark the culmination of the day’s festivities. After the celebrations have finished, the Flame will be transferred to a lantern and it will stay in Liverpool overnight.

On Day 14 the Flame will be carried through the following communities:
Bolton, Horwich, Chorley, Euxton, Croston, Burscough, Ormskirk, Southport, Ainsdale, Formby, Crosby, St Helen’s, Huyton, Knotty Ash, Old Swan, Birkenhead and Liverpool.

The first Torchbearer of the day will be Antony Evitts, 16, from Bolton, who was nominated by Bolton Council for his excellence in swimming, will set off from the steps of the City Hall. Antony has represented the England Talent Programme from a young age, and has realised successes both regionally and nationally. From age 11 he has been ranked in the top six in Great Britain in four events. His biggest achievement to date is qualifying for two events in the 2010 British Championships, where he competed against the best swimmers in Great Britain. Antony is committed to his education at Canon Slade School and effectively manages both his sporting and academic career. Alongside his studies, he trains on a nationally acclaimed swimming programme which involves nine swimming and two gym sessions per week. Antony won the Bolton Sport and Physical Activity Award (BOSPAA) for Sports Achiever of the Year in 2010. His long term goal is to represent Great Britain at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

During the day the Flame will visit a number of iconic landmarks. Highlights include:

Anthony Gormley’s Another Place, Crosby. The Flame will be carried to Another Place by Jessica Wade, 15, from Liverpool, who was nominated in the LOCOG public nomination campaign for her time and dedication given to animals in need. The Flame will then be carried along Another Place by three different Torchbearers. Receiving the Flame from Jessica will be Paul Mcevoy, 25, Liverpool, who was selected through Coca Cola for the time and dedication that he gives to young people. Paul will then hand the Flame to Richard Webster, 45, from The Wirral, who was selected through Lloyds TSB for his efforts raising money for charities. Richard will then hand the Flame to Francis Meadows, 53, Liverpool, who was selected through Lloyds TSB for his 25 years of work at Crosby Stuart Junior Football.

Aintree Racecourse. Kimberley Cooper, 22, from Liverpool, who was nominated through the LOCOG campaign, will carry the Flame through the grandstands and out onto the racecourse. Kim was the ‘Legend’ vinspired National Award Winner for 2011. The award recognises someone who has successfully led a team of volunteers to make a difference. Kim volunteered at Leeds University as a Project Co-ordinator for ‘Green Streets’, a project that stops re-usable items left by students in their halls of residence ending up in a landfill. Over two years she led her team to divert over 50 tonnes of re-usable material and created over 3,000 hours of volunteering for her team. She grew ‘Green Streets’ into a city-wide scheme bringing in multiple partnerships, including Leeds City Council, local community groups and other Universities.

Knowsley Safari Park, Prescot. The Flame will be carried around Knowsley Safari Park by Jane Campbell, 36, from Liverpool, who was selected through Lloyds TSB for her work in starting and running a Seniors Lunch Club in one of the most deprived areas of the country. This will include a visit to the Elephant Enclosure and the Giraffe Platform.

The Mersey Ferry, Birkenhead. The Flame will be carried into the jetty by Rebecca Blacklock, 19, from The Wirral, who was selected through Lloyds TSB for her dedication and commitment to voluntary work in the area. She will then hand the Flame to Craig Lundberg, 26, from Liverpool who will carry the Flame onto the ferry for the crossing across the Mersey. Craig was blinded whilst on service in Iraq in 2007 when a rocket propelled grenade blew in his face. Since his injuries Craig has, amongst many other things, played for the England blind football team, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for the Help the Heroes charity, worked in the community giving inspirational speeches to children and is a support to other wounded servicemen, he is also hoping to participate in the Paralympics in the GB blind football team. Despite his injuries Craig has a fighting spirit and doesn’t let anything get in his way, he has taken it in his stride turned it into a positive and become a role model for other people in a similar situation.

Other Torchbearers during the day will include:

Chris Boardman, 43, from West Kirby, will be carrying the Flame in Birkenhead. Chris Boardman MBE exploded onto the international cycling scene, and captured the British public’s imagination by winning the individual pursuit at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Chris went on to win two world titles on the track, three stages of the Tour de France and set numerous world records including the gruelling hour record shortly before his retirement from cycling in 2000. Chris has always been linked with cutting edge technology and his knowledge and experience became invaluable as he led British Cycling’s research and development team in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where they became the most successful British sporting team of all time. Outside of cycling, Chris ran the 2009 London Marathon for the National Autistic Society and launched the 5km Santa Dash on behalf of the Hoylake Cottage community hospital in West Kirby. Chris is truly an inspirational figure in the history of British sport.

Mel C, 38, London, will be carrying the Flame in Birkenhead. She has been part of one of the most successful Girl Bands of all time, The Spice Girls, and has since forged a name for herself as a sole artist achieving over 3 million album sales, two number 1 singles, six top 10 singles and over 200 combined weeks on the UK chart. Melanie has given a lot of time to various charities including Sport Relief where she has helped raise awareness of people in need in the UK and Worldwide. Melanie is a keen gymnast and dancer and is dedicated to making a difference to people's lives.

Cameron Small, 14, Preston, will be carrying the Flame in Southport. He has inspired so many young and old by his brave fight against a life threatening blood illness. This has included over 900 visits to hospital and harsh, painful treatments including four courses of chemotherapy and many others that have now made him a insulin dependent diabetic. Despite all this, from the age of four he has been an inspirational fundraiser, raising money to help other children and to make their time in hospital easier. He has so far raised an incredible £115000 by organising things from simple raffles to mass sandcastle builds and has even sat in a bath of beans for hours. When he heard his beloved children’s hospital was to close and an appeal was being launched to raise £20 million in just three years he decided that he must get involved and so three years later after many adventures and hard work, Cameron gave a speech at a gala celebration dinner thanking everyone who was involved for their efforts and that the total had been reached. For all his efforts, Cameron was made the first young ambassador for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and has since been awarded many awards from the Children’s Champion to the Pride of Britain. He accepts them on behalf of all the other brave children and his moving speeches have had rooms full of celebrities in tears. Cameron has always wanted to be an Olympian and to carry the Olympic torch would mean that a brave and inspirational boys dream would have come true.

Stephanie Millward, 30, Swansea, will be carrying the Flame in Huyton. She was selected through the Coca-Cola Future Flames programme. Stephanie has always had a passion and love of sports not just because they are fun but also because they allow everyone the chance to work together which she feels is very important. Stephanie swims 9 sessions a week along with two gym sessions which allow her to compete for Great Britain which she enjoys. Stephanie hopes to compete and medal in seven events in London2012 and she hopes to continue teaching young children to swim.

Paul Hardaker, 41 from Liverpool, will be carrying the Flame in Ormskirk. He was nominated through the Lloyds TSB public nomination campaign. He is a long term Crohn's Disease sufferer and has recently sailed single-handedly around the UK, meeting sufferers at every port, to raise money for the Crohn's and colitis foundation.

Joseph Shaw, 17, from Kirkby, will be carrying the Flame in Huyton. Joe has two younger sisters who both have special needs and despite his young age Joe is a constant source of help to his family, often acting as a carer for his sisters. He helps out as a junior leader with local kids clubs and also helps at TANGO – a local community group helping people come together.

The line-up includes music from The Wombats, a dance troupe who will provide a unique fusion of street performance, theatre and sport and dance act Twist and Pulse. There will also be entertainment from local acts staged by Liverpool City Council.

Towards the end of the two-hour show, the last Torchbearer of the day – Craig Lundberg - will light a celebration cauldron on stage at the event which will enable the Olympic Flame to be seen by the audience.

The Olympic Torch Relay will also include exciting moments with extreme heights, high speeds and breath-taking spectacles and the Flame will be travelling by different methods of transport including horseback, bicycle, tram and steam-train. Every county in England and every Local Authority area in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will host the Olympic Flame, with visits reaching as far north as Lerwick in Scotland to St Helier in the south, Lowestoft in the east and Enniskillen in the west. Many thousands of people are expected to welcome the Olympic Flame along the route each day and celebrate the achievements of the Torchbearers in parks, squares and streets right around the UK.

The convoy travelling with the Flame consists of 14 core vehicles, including a pilot car, Torchbearer drop-off and pick-up shuttles, Presenting Partner vehicles, a media vehicle, a command car and security vehicles. The lead convoy, including the Presenting Partner vehicles, will provide entertainment for the crowds. The Torchbearer will follow some 5 to 7 minutes later.

A crew of approximately 350 people will be working each day of the Relay. Core teams of LOCOG staff, the Metropolitan Police Torch Security Team, Presenting Partners, host Police Forces and host Local Authorities will be working together throughout the 70 days.

James Williams, Director, Olympic Torch Relay, The Coca-Cola Company, said: ‘We’re are now well into our second week of what is shaping up to be an incredible 70 day journey around the UK. We’re so excited to join with the crowds lining the streets to celebrate our inspirational Coca-Cola Future Flames as they carry the Olympic Flame through their local communities, for example today Stephanie Millward will be carrying the Flame in Huyton. We’re continuing to spread the magic of London 2012 across the United Kingdom, and will be getting everyone to Move to the Beat tonight as we bring The Wombats to the stage in Liverpool.’

Sally Hancock, Director, London 2012 Partnership at Lloyds Banking Group, said: ‘The Olympic Torch Relay has had a phenomenal reception in each community is has touched over the last two incredible weeks. Every community has come out in force to feel the excitement of London 2012. Lloyds TSB is bringing as many opportunities as possible for people to get involved as the Olympic Flame passes their door. We’re calling on everyone to cheer their local Lloyds TSB Torchbearers – extraordinary people like Tom Glynn and Rose Tyson, running in St Helen’s and Birkenhead. Our troupe of performers, the Flame Followers, are lighting up the celebrations along the route ahead of the Relay before their Flame Followers Spectacular at Liverpool’s iconic Pierhead tonight.’

Sunny Hwang, Vice President & Head of Global Sports Marketing, Samsung Electronics, said: ‘Samsung's Olympic Torch Relay campaign shares the Olympic spirit and encourages everyone to take part in London 2012. Samsung has offered an inspiring opportunity to people around the world to carry the Olympic Flame, as part of our ambition to make London 2012 Everyone's Olympic Games.’

For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office.

Notes to editors:

Each day two short packages of broadcast footage will be made available. The packages will be available via the Footage library – accessible from the Media Centre on london2012.com and direct from this linkhttp://footagelibrary.london2012.com. Media will need to register for access in advance. Registration is free.

The broadcast of the Olympic Torch Relay is provided for Editorial Use Only. There can be no commercial association, no third party association and no commercial/ad superimposition on the video footage, unless the prior written consent of the IOC is acquired.

About the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners:

As the longest standing Presenting Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola will be using its heritage and experience to spread excitement across the UK ahead of London 2012. Coca-Cola's national nomination campaign - Future Flames – has focused on finding inspirational young people from across the country to have the once in a lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame. This summer Coca-Cola will celebrate these Future Flames: young people who use their passions in areas like sport and physical activity, music and dance, and community and the environment; to spread happiness in their local communities. Find out more at:http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/olympic-games

As the only National Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Lloyds TSB will be taking the inspiration and excitement of the Olympic Flame right to the heart of communities across the UK. As part of Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of Scotland will be the National Presenting Partner in Scotland. We are creating as many opportunities as possible for communities the length and breadth of the UK to get involved as the Flame travels past their front doors. Lloyds TSB’s troupe of performers the Flame Followers will be travelling ahead of the Flame to excite crowds with a unique fusion of street performance, theatre and sport celebrating the endeavour, athleticism, agility and skill of Olympic sporting heroes, Team GB.

Lloyds Banking Group is Britain’s biggest corporate investor in UK communities and in 2011 invested £85 million and as part of the Group’s Community Investment Programme, we’ve launched the Lloyds Banking Group Community Fund to give back to the communities in which we operate and pass through on our journey with the Olympic Flame. We’re inviting everyone to visit the Lloyds TSB stand at each Evening Celebration to vote for a community project in their area that inspires and supports young people. By voting at the Evening Celebration members of the public will automatically enter a draw to win four tickets to London 2012. The two projects that receive the most votes at each locality will each win a £5,000 grant from Lloyds Banking Group. At the Lloyds TSB site members of the public will also have the opportunity to have their photo taken with the Olympic Torch, meet Lloyds TSB Local Heroes – the future stars of Team GB and ParalympicsGB – and get up close to our Flame Followers. To find out how you can join in the celebrations with Lloyds TSB (in your community please visithttp://www.lloydstsb.com/london2012)

As a Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Samsung aims to encourage everyone to be part of the greatest show on Earth to make London 2012 ‘Everyone’s Olympic Games.’ We aspire to offer new and memorable experiences for everyone around the world through our own innovative and smart wireless technology. Samsung is providing 1,360 Torchbearers, who have “gone the extra mile” by contributing to the local communities, through its worldwide public nomination campaign. In total over 25,000 nominations were received. Samsung will support towns and cities to celebrate the exciting moment of the Torch Relay and help showcase Great Britain’s cultural landmarks to provide a more enjoyable experience to everyone. The evening celebrations that will be staged by Samsung in 66 towns and cities throughout the Olympic Flame’s journey across the UK, will allow Samsung to entertain the community they are visiting. The Samsung caravan, complete with LED screen on the side showcasing runners and goodwill messages, will follow the Torchbearers around the UK cheering up everyone to celebrate the Torch Relay with music and interaction with local communities. It is Samsung’s ambition that London 2012 will be an event that reaches and involves more people than on any other Olympic Games occasion. To learn more about Samsung’s London 2012 Olympic programme, please visithttp://www.samsung.com/london2012

The Supporters of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay are:
Worldwide Olympic Partners Procter and Gamble and Visa, Tier One Partners adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT and EDF, Tier Three Providers Aggreko, Holiday Inn and NATURE VALLEY.

The BBC will be providing extensive coverage of the Torch Relay on television, radio and online. This will include special Breakfast shows on every BBC local radio station, and extended live coverage of an evening celebration event in every Nation and English Region. Full details of the coverage will be at bbc.co.uk/2012.

London 2012 Games partners:
The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow Chemical Company, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.

LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS.

There are now twenty-eight domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield