Posted on 23 May 2012
James Pigram, Rupert Edwards, Amy Birch, Voytek Nowak, Sima Gurung and Dambudzo Chirairo will all be heading to the Olympics as part of the Aramark and Bridging the Gap initiatives
It’s get set and ready to go at Guildford College in the countdown to the Olympics as staff and students prepare to play once in a lifetime parts in London 2012.
One member of staff at Guildford College has been chosen to perform as a dancer in the Olympic Games closing ceremony and another will take part in the opening ceremony of the Paralympics. An 18-year-old Public Services student at Merrist Wood College, Lauren Driver, is one of only 100 “Young Leaders” nationally to be selected for the games and has worked with Olympic double gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes.
“Young Leaders” is a project to support teenagers with potential on an intensive personal development programme which includes volunteering in their local community. The young leaders will each play a significant role in the delivery of London 2012.
Lauren, who is planning a career in the police force or fire brigade, will work in event services at the Games and is going to the opening ceremony. She has also been given a ticket to attend the Olympics event of her choice. “Dame Kelly was there at the start of the programme to introduce us to it and she was lovely, really inspirational. We also met Seb Coe at the programme graduation ceremony last week, which was filmed by ITV News. It has been a fantastic experience and I feel so lucky to have been chosen.”
A hundred Guildford College, Merrist Wood College and Farnham Sixth Form College students are in line to act as security staff at the games after being trained as door supervisors through the Bridging the Gap initiative, which gives students the chance to be involved in London 2012. Ten Guildford College Catering and Hospitality students will also be showing off their skills serving up nutritious food to some of the world’s top athletes at the Olympics rowing events, thanks to a contract with London 2012 caterers Aramark.
All three Colleges have been awarded the “Get Set” Olympics accreditation for education establishments, entitling them to 18 Olympics/Paralympics tickets. To celebrate World Sports Week on 27 June, the College is organising its own “World Sports Day” at Merrist Wood. Participants who best demonstrate Olympic values will have the chance to win the London 2012 tickets.