UK public invited to take a London 2012 Open Weekend challenge

Top sporting talent from across the UK has joined Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee to invite the public to actively celebrate the two year countdown to the start of the London 2012 Games by participating in Open Weekend 2010. Open Weekend is a series of exciting sporting, arts and cultural challenges taking place across the UK from Friday 23 to Sunday 25^th July 2010. In Suffolk well over 50 community events will take place ranging from the unique  ‘Vegetable Games’ in Ipswich, to a major disability sport and arts showcase day, also in Ipswich, to a heritage arts and crafts weekend at Little Hall Museum in Lavenham and a day of extreme sports in Felixstowe. There will be a street theatre fairy play at venues across Suffolk, a family fun cycling treasure hunt in Beccles, an opportunity for artists and photographers to contribute to a visual archive of the parish of Martlesham and much more.

With the fresh theme of ‘challenge yourself’, organisations have set public challenges at their events, creating an opportunity for everyone across the UK to set a new personal best by trying something new or taking an existing interest to the next level. 

Great Britain Handball Player Louise Jukes, from Suffolk, joined one of the ‘Vegetable Games’ organisers Dan Wheals in a game of cauliflower handball (pictured) to mark the launch of the London 2012 Open Weekend listings.  Full listings, including details of events taking place in Suffolk, can be found at www.london2012.com/openweekend.

London 2012 Chair Sebastian Coe said “Open Weekend will lead the nation into the two year countdown to the start of the London 2012 Games with new personal bests being set right across the UK. Open Weekend 2010 is another opportunity for thousands of people to join in with the London 2012 Games.”

Now in its third year, London 2012 Open Weekend follows the success of the past two years, in which over a million people across the UK unleashed their creativity across a series of sporting, art and cultural activities.

	Adam Baker, Suffolk Project Manager for the London 2012 Games, Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2BX t: 01473 260821    e: adam.baker@suffolk.gov.uk