FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LONDON 2012 OPENING CEREMONY VOLUNTEER LAUNCHES OLYMPIC LEGACY CAMPAIGN TO INSPIRE YOUTH ACTION London, March 7th, 2013 - Six months on from the Games and a year after citing the Olympic legacy with Boris Johnson at People’s Question Time in Hammersmith, a disabled filmmaker who volunteered for the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony is today launching the ‘Live the Spirit of the Dream’ campaign. He aims to harness the spirit of volunteering efforts during the Games to help inspire students and young people to volunteer and get involved in local community projects. Fureel Otubu, who suffers with the debilitating blood disorder Sickle Cell performed in the Green & Pleasant segment of Danny Boyle’s extravagant opening ceremony. Now he’s hoping to promote the spirit of volunteering to schools and colleges by launching a community music band project and a digital TV network programme for both them and the wider community to participate in the production. “Volunteering for the Olympics ceremony was a challenge with ill health but a dream come true and a rare opportunity for me to represent Britain. The team work was a great way to gain more confidence and improve my skills”, said Mr. Otubu. “I want to bring that Olympic legacy and my experience to students and young people and develop fun ways for them to volunteer and engage in the community. Creating a swing music and dance band project and a reality documentary show to celebrate London and the success of London 2012 is a great way to do this”, he says. Working closely with Volunteer Centre Westminster, Fureel Otubu will support and promote volunteering and encourage 16-19year olds in Westminster Schools and Colleges to engage in volunteering activities in the community. Gareth Owen, Chief Executive of Volunteer Centre Westminster said “we do a lot of work with schools and unemployed people in the community because we believe volunteering transforms lives and is an amazing stepping stone into the work place.” “There is an opportunity for all of us to build on the Olympic volunteering legacy and provide motivation and inspiration for young people to engage and get involved in the community. Fureel brings that London 2012 spirit of volunteering and there is a massive potential to channel volunteering in a positive way for the community”, Mr. Owen said. Volunteers were hailed as the unexpected success of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Thanks to not just the highly visible purple and pink Olympic Games Makers and Team London ambassadors but also the ceremonies volunteers and all the other volunteers. Fureel Otubu said “social and digital media and new camera technology has provided new opportunities for filmmakers to communicate and engage with the community. I will be capturing the creation of the band as well as short video messages celebrating the success of the London 2012 Games. Hopefully I’ll get to capture a legacy message from Mayor Boris Johnson at People’s Question Time in Catford this evening.” Ends/
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 01:03:13 +0000
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