The leaflet, called ‘A Summer to Remember!’, has been produced in response to feedback that some local people are unaware of the programme of events in the borough during the Games, many of which are free and most of which are aimed at families.

It includes information about a range of events and attractions, including:

• The Torch Relay – a chance to line the streets and cheer on the inspirational people chosen to carry the Olympic Flame through Dorset
• Weymouth & Portland Live – two giant screens showing the sailing and other Olympic action on Weymouth’s famous sandy beach
• Bayside Festival – live music, extreme sports displays, local food and more
• Maritime Mix – Dorset’s largest creative celebration, featuring over 80 events
• Weymouth Beach sports arena – try your hand at sports from rugby to kayaking
• ICCI360 Arena – live music and dance performances, 360 degree film screenings and more
• Weymouth SEA LIFE Tower – offering dramatic views over Weymouth & Portland and beyond

Weymouth & Portland Borough Council Management Committee Chairman Mike Goodman said: “This summer promises to be among the biggest and best in the history of Weymouth & Portland.

“Whether you love sport, enjoy live music or just want to soak up the Olympic atmosphere, Weymouth & Portland offers locals and visitors a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the London 2012 Games by the sea this summer. And many of the activities are absolutely free.”

‘A Summer to Remember!’ is available from tourist information centres and other local outlets.

For more information about the events in Dorset during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing events you can also go to www.dorsetforyou.com/sailing2012

To book accommodation in Dorset go to www.visit-dorset.com.

Weymouth and Portland harbours will be open for business throughout the Olympic period but Portland Marina and the National Sailing Academy at Osprey Quay will be closed to the public.

To help marine visitors watch the Olympic and Paralympic sailing and enjoy this once in a lifetime experience, temporary spectating areas will be established on the water. Extra marine services, berths, moorings and anchorages will also be provided to accommodate visitors who are expected to arrive by sea.

Steps have been taken to protect the competition course areas (also known as the Field of Play) to ensure safe, secure and enjoyable Games for general marine users and Olympic competitors alike. As a result, there will be some on-water restrictions that will affect a wide range of marine users including visiting boat owners, and other marine recreational users. (E.g. kite-surfers, wind surfers, kayakers, divers, fishermen).

It is essential therefore that anyone planning to visit or stay in Weymouth or Portland Harbours arriving by boat during the Olympics should prepare their journey and book in advance with the appropriate Harbour Authority. Failure to do so may result in delay in allowing access or could result in skippers being asked to leave the area.

Rob Andrews, LOCOG Venue General Manager says ‘We have worked hard to provide ways for people to use the water during the Games but to make this possible, it is important everyone knows the temporary limits we will have to enforce during Games time. This summer, if you’re doing anything from sailing to kayaking, windsurfing to swimming, read our Frequently Asked Questions to find out about where you can and cannot go.’

Rod Carr, LOCOG Field of Play Manager says, ‘a secure field of play is essential for fair competition and the enjoyment of spectators. We are relying on people who use Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour to comply with the temporary restrictions that will be in place and help make the Olympic and Paralympic Sailing events in Weymouth and Portland a memorable success.

For more information please visit the following websites:

www.dorsetforyou.com/sailing2012

http://harbour.weymouth.gov.uk/london2012

http://www.portland-port.co.uk/leisure

Weymouth & Portland Borough Council and the Weymouth & Portland Partnership have agreed to allocate almost £1,800, through a small grant scheme, to nine groups planning community celebrations around the borough.

Community groups and local organisations were invited to apply for funding in February and have now received confirmation of the amounts being awarded. Each of the groups is being awarded between £180 and £200.

Local groups have been busy planning a range of events and activities to greet the Olympic Flame and celebrate the occasion with their communities.

On Portland the parents group ‘iPlay’ are planning a ‘Mini Olympics’ event for families, involving sports, games and refreshments. This free community event will be held in the YOI Governors Gardens on Grove Road.

Churches Together on Portland are also planning to provide refreshments and hot food for those gathering to watch the Torch Relay as it passes through Southwell, Easton and Fortuneswell.

The Friends of Greenhill Gardens are planning to decorate the gardens with flags, balloons and bunting while St John’s Church, with the Waterside Community Forum, will be providing refreshments and hospitality.

Weymouth College and Weymouth Bay Methodist Church will be running a celebration event, with street bands and dancing, on the grass areas next to the Lodmoor Car Park. The area will be decorated with bunting and flags and refreshments will be available.

Westham Community Group will be working with Synergy Housing and Dorset County Council to organise transport and seating for residents from local sheltered housing wanting to watch the Torch Relay.

Deputy head of the Weymouth & Portland 2012 Operations team, Gary Fooks said:

“The arrival of the Olympic Flame in Weymouth and Portland will give local people an opportunity to really feel part of the Olympic Games and to come together to share and celebrate what is truly a unique and special occasion. It is fantastic to see so many local people organising events for the Torch Relay and showing their support for the inspirational Torchbearers who will be carrying the Flame through their communities.”

Chair of the Weymouth & Portland Partnership, Anne-Marie Vincent added:

“We are very happy to support these events, which will encourage communities to come out and celebrate this unique experience together. We hope the grants being awarded will help to really make the Olympic Torch Relay an event to remember for the borough.”

The Olympic Flame will arrive in the borough of Weymouth and Portland on Thursday 12 July. It will be carried by Torchbearers through Chickerell and Wyke Regis before being taken to the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, where it will be carried onto a boat and transported to Weymouth Beach in time for the evening celebration event. On Friday 13 July the Flame will leave from Portland Bill, passing through Southwell, Weston, Easton, Portland, Fortuneswell, Weymouth, Preston and Osmington in West Dorset before continuing east towards Poole and Bournemouth.

For detailed street level information about where you will be able to see the Olympic Flame as it passes through your area, and more information about planned community events, please visit www.dorsetforyou.com/sailing2012

Further information:

A total of £1,765.54 is being awarded to nine community groups in Weymouth and Portland. The amounts being awarded range between £180 and £200.

Event organisers are being given guidance on event management by the borough council. Anyone planning an event to mark the Olympic Torch Relay is asked to inform the council of their plans first. Please email Louise Stewart at l.stewart@westdorset-weymouth.gov.uk

A map of the Olympic Torch Relay route through Weymouth and Portland, with approximate timings, is attached. Please use the link below.

For more information please contact Weymouth & Portland Borough Council’s Communications Team on 01305 252293.

The district council has agreed to allocate up to £5,000 from the Leisure Development Fund to assist local celebrations.

Parish and town councils were invited to apply for grants last November and have this week received confirmation of the amounts being awarded.

Communities around West Dorset, through which the Olympic Flame will be carried by a torchbearer, are planning a variety of events and celebrations to mark the occasion.

A sporting event with an Olympic theme and an evening event with entertainment and a hog roast are being planned in Burton Bradstock.

Chideock is being decorated in the Olympic colours and a tea will be held in the village hall after the Torch Relay has passed through the village.

The Lyme Regis community is planning celebrations on the seafront once the Torch Relay procession has passed, including a parade of sporting achievers from the town.

Residents of Abbotsbury have been busy making sail-shaped banners which will line the Torch Relay route through West Street, Market Street and Rodden Row.

In Chickerell a community planting scheme is being organised to decorate the town and a Torch Relay BBQ, with food, music and other entertainment, is being planned for Saturday 14 July.

In Osmington a ‘Mini Olympics’ sports event and picnic lunch will be held at the Village Hall and field on Friday 13 July.

Leader of West Dorset District Council, Councillor Robert Gould said:

“We are looking forward to welcoming the Olympic Flame to West Dorset and it is great to see so many local people planning events for their communities so that they can celebrate this unique and historic occasion together.

“We are pleased to support these events and would encourage people to get involved with the celebrations, line the streets and show their support for the Torchbearers carrying the Olympic Flame through their communities.”

The Olympic Flame will arrive in West Dorset at around 12.30pm on Thursday 12 July. It will travel through Puddletown, Dorchester, Winterbourne Abbas, Bridport, Chideock, Lyme Regis, Burton Bradstock, Abbotsbury and Portesham before finally passing through Chickerell and into the borough of Weymouth and Portland in time for the evening celebrations on Weymouth Beach. On Friday 13 July the Flame will leave from Portland Bill and travel east through Osmington in West Dorset and on towards Poole and Bournemouth.

For detailed street level information about where you will be able to see the Olympic Flame as it passes through your area, and more information about planned community events, please visit www.dorsetforyou.com/sailing2012

Further information:

A total of £4,922 is being awarded to 11 town and parish councils in West Dorset. The maximum grant being given to a parish council is £400 and the maximum for a town council is £550.

The grants are being awarded to the town and parish councils in each of these communities as they are playing a lead role in organising the celebrations.

Event organisers are being given guidance on event management by the district council. Anyone planning an event to mark the Olympic Torch Relay is asked to inform the council of their plans first.

For more information please contact West Dorset District Council’s Communications Team on 01305 252293.

Weymouth’s Pavilion has been branded with the Government’s ‘GREAT (Britain)’ campaign, which is designed to promote the UK abroad and capitalise on the huge interest generated by the London 2012 Games.

The pavilion will act as a base for the world’s media from July to September as they visit the borough to cover the story of Weymouth & Portland’s role in this year’s sailing competitions.

The building will be branded with the official Olympic branding in July, but the huge banners draped on the outside today are designed to test the practicalities of dressing the front of the pavilion.

The banners picture the Dorset coast and proclaim “coastlines are great”. They have been paid for by central Government.

Weymouth & Portland Head of 2012 Operations Simon Williams said: “This dress rehearsal for the pavilion will test how well the banners stand up to the town’s sometimes blustery conditions, which is why our waters are so appealing to sailors. Using the Government’s GREAT campaign has the added benefit of shining an international spotlight on the borough as it prepares for this most important of summers.”

The banners will remain on the pavilion for a period of time to test the materials and fixings.

The GREAT campaign offers a chance for the whole world to discover everything that the UK has to offer as one of the best places in the world to live, work, visit, invest and do business.

Notes to editors:

The Dorset Media Centre is likely to operate on the following dates:

12 and13 July – Torch Relay in West and South Dorset

27 July to 12 August – Olympic sailing events

29 August to 9 September – Paralympic sailing events

Facilities will include desks, broadband connectivity, printer and fax, daily media briefings, access to media platforms and more. See the attached sheet for full details.

Media organisations wishing to use the facilities must register their interest at www.dorsetforyou.com/sailing2012/mediacentre by 30 April 2012

Images of the sandcastle and Weymouth’s famous beach are being sent around the globe with the message that Weymouth and Portland, hosts of the 2012 Sailing events, are ready to welcome the world.

The beach was chosen as the location for the 100 days to go countdown because during the Olympic Games it will be where visitors come to enjoy the sport, festivals, new attractions and a host of free events.

Weymouth beach will be transformed into ‘Weymouth & Portland Live’ where up to 15,000 visitors a day will enjoy the Games’ Sailing and other sporting events for free. Two giant 60 sqm screens will broadcast live BBC coverage of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Next to the live site there will be an interactive Sports Arena where up to 2,000 people will get the chance to try exciting sports including sailing, football, rugby, volleyball, cricket, bowling and kayaking.

The beach will also be the focal point for many cultural events taking place as part of the ‘Maritime Mix London 2012 Cultural Olympiad by the Sea’. The Cultural Olympiad includes world class theatre, earth science and art, open-air mass choir performances, video projections, art, music and more.

Simon Williams, Head of Weymouth and Portland 2012 Operations, said: “We are getting ready to welcome the world to Weymouth and Portland for the Olympic sailing competition.

“Excitement here is mounting as in just 100 days our golden sands will welcome visitors from across the globe to enjoy the greatest show on earth.

“We built the castle to highlight that we are offering a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the London 2012 Games by the sea. There are so many events, attractions and festivals on that there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

“Our sandcastle is a lot of fun and it has been beamed around the world to show people what a fabulous place Weymouth, Portland and Dorset’s World Heritage, Jurassic Coast is.”

Visitors to Weymouth will also be able to enjoy the Bayside Festival. It will feature live music and entertainment on two stages, sporting displays including a stunt display team, a special Jurassic Coast exhibition, a skate park, arts and crafts displays, as well as stalls and a range of local Dorset food and other refreshments.

The Weymouth Sea Life Tower, which opens in July, will offer visitors the chance to view Weymouth and Portland’s Olympic sailing waters and famous Jurassic Coast. Another visitor attraction near the beach will be the ICCI 360 Arena, which offers live music and dance performances, photography, animation, interactive gaming and 360° film screenings.

The giant sandcastle was built during the Easter holidays and attracted the attention of many youngsters. Five-year-old Gracie Tourgout, said: “It is huge. I can’t believe it is so big. It is making me really excited about the Olympic Games and I love the flags!”

To find out more visit: www.dorsetforyou.com/sailing2012/

NOTES

Weymouth & Portland Borough Council working in partnership with LOCOG organised the building of a giant 4m x 2m sandcastle on Weymouth Beach to mark 100 days to go to the London 2012 Games on 18^th April.

The aim was to promote the opening of the Games and the sailing events in Weymouth & Portland by providing an iconic photo image made available to media all over the world. In order to allow time for the media to plan their editorial coverage, the sandcastle which took 4 days to build, was built ahead of the 100 days to go date.

For safety reasons and to avoid security costs the sandcastle was dismantled immediately after the photo shoot.

Images of the sandcastle have generated media interest across the globe and have helped to secure significant coverage for Weymouth & Portland and Dorset, showcasing the Jurassic coast, the historic Georgian esplanade and the golden sands of Weymouth beach.

This extensive coverage , linked to the London 2012 Games, helps to promote Weymouth & Portland and Dorset around the world in print media, online and on TV. Paid for by LOCOG, the sandcastle image has secured tourism coverage valued way in excess of the cost of building and staging the photo shoot.

Visitors to Weymouth and Portland can pick up a brand new leaflet packed full of everything to see and do in the area.

The leaflet will give visitors the ability to really get the most out of their stay.

It contains detailed maps of Weymouth and Portland, an introduction to the area, stunning photography and really interesting and fun information on what to do and where to go.

The leaflet will also contain key dates of the incredible events taking place this year.

Around 50,000 have been printed and distributed to tourist information centres across Weymouth, Portland and West Dorset in time for Easter.

It is supported by a range of local businesses.

Matt Ryan, Head of Tourism & Events at Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, said: “This brand new leaflet offers visitors an excellent comprehensive guide to what is on offer.  Hopefully it will encourage visitors to stay longer, explore further and return for another visit in the future.

“It is such an important year for Dorset with Weymouth and Portland hosting the Olympic and Paralympic sailing events.

“It is crucial we take this opportunity to really emphasise to visitors the rich beauty, culture and history Weymouth and Portland has to offer.”

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council and West Dorset District Council worked together to produce the leaflet.  The two local authorities are also responsible for running six tourist information centres and promoting the area both nationally and globally.

The work will take place from 8pm on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 April and will last for a number of hours each night.

Seven columns will be lifted into place and bolted down onto pre-prepared bases one at a time.

The 15 metre-high illuminated sculptural columns will be placed from Alexandra Gardens up to the Pier Bandstand providing subtle and changing laser generated illuminations that will extend across the beach into the sea.

The new artist-led lighting is intended to be subtle, with phased and calming light patterns in green that will change as part of a programme. Each of the seven columns will be different colours and each will include a different vertical coloured lighting element within the structure of the column.

Head of Weymouth and Portland 2012 Operations Simon Williams said: “The contractors have to test the lighting units which will be directed over the beach and into the sea and this can only be done in the hours of darkness as this is the time where they can be tested to full effect. The use of the promenade is lower during these hours and therefore disruption will be kept to a minimum,  but we do apologise for any inconvenience caused.

“We understand that the old lighting system along Weymouth seafront was popular with some people, but the light bulbs were becoming unavailable and the system was extremely inefficient to operate, costing many thousands of pounds each year in both maintenance repairs and electricity costs. As a result of being exposed to all weathers, the light bulbs had always been prone to breakdown and operational difficulties as well as being expensive to operate. Furthermore they were only lit for some 6 weeks each year.

“With the benefit of Arts Council and other funding the borough council has had the opportunity to introduce a new very low energy lighting scheme which will be modern in its form and more environmentally friendly, but sympathetic to the Georgian backdrop of the esplanade.”

While the work is being done along the promenade, traffic will still be able to drive down the seafront. Parking spaces at Marks and Spencer and Alexandra Gardens will be coned off while works take place during the evening/night.

The artist designed veils of light being installed are one of the last parts of the £2.5m Seafront Regeneration Programme.

Mr Williams added: “The Seafront Regeneration Programme has improved the promenade and esplanade and has brought exciting new features along the seafront that everyone will be able to enjoy now and well beyond the Games this summer.

“This investment by a strong partnership that includes the borough and county council, English Heritage, the Arts Council as well as local businesses, demonstrates the confidence everyone has in Weymouth and Portland’s future as a holiday and business destination.”

Arts Council England’s Director for the South West Phil Gibby said: “We’re delighted that public art has been incorporated into the rejuvenation of the sea front and that this impressive piece of art will be available for residents and visitors to enjoy.”

Testing the lights and their programming will start from 4 April and extend over a period of time .

An official launch of the veils of light will happen in early May after all testing has been carried out.

Imogen Beasley, 16, from Dorchester will meet and greet visitors to Weymouth and Portland when the Games begin in July.

The Thomas Hardye School pupil will join a 500-plus army of volunteers in the Weymouth & Portland Ambassador Programme to greet, steward, answer questions, give advice and be the welcoming smile to people visiting the area during Games time this year.

Imogen applied for the voluntary post earlier this year and recently found out she had been selected for the role.

She said: “Being part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games locally is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I wanted to be part of it from the inside.

“I’ve never been to a big sporting event, so I can’t wait to experience the atmosphere.

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games are very exciting for young people in the county because it is something different and most of my friends are really pleased that I am going to be involved!”

Ambassadors will be on hand at key locations throughout the borough between 26 July and 9 September.

Volunteers are being trained and will offer around 60 hours of their time over the Games period. Officially branded 2012 uniforms will be provided to make them easily identifiable and which volunteers can keep after the Games as a memento of their efforts.

The Ambassadors programme is the only officially recognised volunteer scheme in Weymouth and Portland outside of the London 2012 Games Maker programme, and has been awarded the prestigious ‘Inspired By’ mark by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For more information about the ambassadors programme go to www.dorsetforyou.com/london2012/wpa

Betty Port, aged 61, from Dorchester and Rosie Barfoot, 57, from Stratton were confirmed as Torchbearers for West Dorset on Monday 19 March.  They will be two of 8,000 people who will carry the Olympic Flame as it makes its 70-day journey around the UK before the Opening Ceremony in London on 27 July.

Meeting on High West Street, where the Olympic Flame will be carried along on the afternoon of Thursday 12 July, Councillor Gould congratulated the two individuals on their selection as Torchbearers and commended the exceptional commitment they have shown to their communities.

Betty, who works part-time as an Anglican priest, taught at All Saints Church of England School in Weymouth for 22 years and was Deputy Head for 10 years.  Betty co-ordinated fundraising at the school and was nominated by a former student who said she had inspired her, through all the charity work she does, to set up her own charity, Bridges to Belarus.  Betty will be carrying the Olympic Flame through Burton Bradstock on Thursday 12 July, which is day 55 of the Torch Relay.

Betty said:

“When I found out that I had been selected as a Torchbearer I was so excited.  The best thing about it though has been the reaction other people have had for me.  They smile and are so excited and I think it’s brought more people into the Olympic ‘feel’.  The joy for me will be putting on my Olympic Torch Relay tracksuit and going into schools and letting the children hold the Torch so that everyone can feel involved in the Olympics.”

Rosie works locally as a business performance coach and is the founder of the Phoenix Legacy, a voluntary organisation which encourages people over the age of 50 to have more active lifestyles – in mind, body and spirit.  She has also launched the ‘Mind Your Head’ challenge, in conjunction with the Brain Trust Charity, which challenges people to use their brain cells and keep their minds active.  Rosie will also be carrying the Olympic Flame through Burton Bradstock on Thursday 12 July.

Rosie said:

“I am very excited and proud to have been selected as an Olympic Torchbearer.  The true enormity of it all has really started to set in now.  What struck me most when I received the email, confirming I would carry the Flame, was that I am officially going to be part of London 2012 and that will be a truly unique experience.  I will be carrying the Flame on behalf of all the people in the community doing good work, particularly the carers and volunteers who don’t always get the recognition they deserve.”

Leader of West Dorset District Council, Councillor Robert Gould said:

“Betty and Rosie and all of the Inspirational Torchbearers who will be carrying the Olympic Flame through West Dorset, and indeed around the whole of the UK, should be incredibly proud to have been nominated and selected to play their part in this historic event.  This is a unique and fitting way to recognise their achievements and thank them for all of the hard work and commitment they have shown their local communities.”

He added: “We are greatly looking forward to welcoming the Olympic Flame to West Dorset and are encouraging people to come out onto the streets to greet the Flame, join in with the celebrations and show their support for the individuals who will be carrying it through the district.“

The Olympic Flame will arrive in West Dorset at around 12.30pm on Thursday 12 July.  It will travel through Puddletown, Dorchester, Winterbourne Abbas, Bridport, Chideock, Lyme Regis, Burton Bradstock, Abbotsbury and Portesham before finally passing through Chickerell and into the borough of Weymouth and Portland in time for the evening celebrations on Weymouth Beach.  On Friday 13 July the Flame will leave from Portland Bill and travel east through Osmington in West Dorset and on towards Poole and Bournemouth.

For detailed street level information about where you will be able to see the Olympic Flame as it passes through your area then please visit www.dorsetforyou.com/sailing2012.