You’ve already registered your interest in volunteering; now is the time for you to find out if you’ve got what it takes to be a Games Maker. You can find all the information you need at london2012.com/volunteering

Applications for the general public open on 15 September. So you’ve got time to take the Games Maker challenge, read about volunteering roles, and find out if you’re eligible to be a Games Maker.

As we celebrate two years to go to the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, there’s plenty more to get involved with.

Our planning’s right on track, the athletes are in training… now’s the time for you to start planning your Games!

source:London 2012 newsletter

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The image above is off the bbc

The new London 2012 mascots have been released and there are mixed feelings about them. Many people hoped for a British bulldog or a lion but the designers for the mascots moved away from animals and came up with a totally new idea.

The new mascots have been named Wenlock and Mandeville. They start out there life as just bit of wasted steal however they are taken home and cast into characters then magicly they come alive.

Discuss your views about them in a forum

The image above is off the BBC to view the BBC article please click the image at the top of the page

Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts

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This course gives a real in site to what the new Broxbourne course will look like.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8641500.stm

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Course structures complete.

Summer 2010

Slalom courses running and facility building complete.

Lake complete and filled.

Autumn 2010

Slalom courses commissioned and external landscaping complete.

Spring 2011

Centre opens to the public.

Summer 2012

Centre closes to the public for olympic games.

Spring 2013

Centre reopens to the public.

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last year there was 150,000 cubic metres of soil required to build up the 5.5m start pull walls, and to build the lake. There is now more then 500 piles now ready for the construction of the building this month.

The lake is due to be completed during the summer of 2010. It is planned to be concrete based with concreted sandbags forming the banks and walls.

The 300m Olympic course is also taking shape alone the western side of the centre. the earthworks are due to finish on the Olympic course early this year ready for concreting and the Olympic course is due to be completed in the summer of 2010.

The 160m intermediate course is also on schedule and earthworks are due to finish in the next few months ready for concreting and completion in the summer of 2010.

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Great news for all us watersports lovers. Brookbank Canoes and Kayaks has just opened a store up meters away from the site of the new white water canoe centre. this will bring many more people to the sport we love as they wont have to traval miles to find the right gear.

Technorati Tags: 2012, Broxbourne, Broxbourne White Water, Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre, Canoe, Herts Young Mariners Base, kayak, kayak slalom, kayaking, slalom, White Water, White Water Canoe, White Water Canoe Centre

Welcome to this months edition to the construction updates.

Since my last post less then a month ago a lot has happened, as you will see in the pictures in this post that I have tried to take from the same camera position. There is lots of new material, that was not there a few weeks ago.

Four weeks ago it was being counted that at least 10 dumper trucks a hour was entering the site to leave soil and dirt. Now there are reports that this has stopped and the earth works for the new site have finished. This means the site is now well under way of being constructed.

From the look of the progress the New Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre is well on its way and may be opened earlier then expected.

To receive email update from me please go to the Email Update page and fill your details in.

James

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Wales Online quotes the leader of Cardiff Council, Coun Berman as saying: “If the UK Government is genuinely concerned about the cost of the Olympics this could be a way for them to save some money.”

“Our facility in Cardiff will be ready in time and they are more than welcome to use it.

“We are already going to be getting some Olympic football matches played at the Millennium Stadium. But this would give us a lot more focus for the Olympics.”

With the Government looking to scale back the spending on the Olympics, the fact that the Broxbourne White Water Centre has not yet been started, could put Cardiff in a prime position to host the Slalom events, should they decide not to go ahead with Broxbourne.

Hopefully this will not be the case.

There were good reasons for choosing Broxbourne.  Sport England had identified that the South of England needed an artificial, purpose built, white water slalom facility.  The location will be in the Lea Valley corridor, and with good access to London for the Olympics. Longer term it will provide a lasting legacy for the South of England.

Technorati Tags: 2012, Broxbourne White Water, canoe centre, Cardiff Bay, kayak, London

Crane starts £13m White water canoe centre

Cardiff Bay White Water Slalom Course

It may be simply dipping a paddle into the water, but at a time of economic uncertainty, the suggestion by Cardiff Council leader that “It would be great for Wales if this facility could be used for the finals of the London 2012 Olympics” does illustrate the potential risk to Broxbourne as the venue for the London 2012 White Water Slalom.

Broxbourne of course is situated in the Lea Valley and not too far from London, so athletes would not have to travel too far from the Olympic Village.  However with the Governments intention of spreading the economic benefits of the Olympics around the country, a change of plan cannot be entirely ruled out.  Particularly when the economic climate is considered and work will not be starting on the Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre for some months.

The Cardiff Bay development does look like a fantastic facility Wales.  It will be fantastic for the long term success of Canoe and Kayak white water slalom sport in the UK to have several World Class facilities around the country.

Technorati Tags: 2012, Broxbourne White Water, canoe centre, Cardiff Bay, kayak, London

The scheme proposes both elite and intermediate white water canoe, kayak and rafting facilities.  The elite and intermediate levels would each have their own separate course loop and start pool.  Both loops finishing in a substantial lake to the north eastern part of the facility. There will be a two storey, 2100m3 facilities building encompassing changing rooms, admin, equipment storage, cafe and accommodation for the British Canoe Union (BCU) who will use the facility as a HQ.

The white water elite course will have a fall of 5.5 metres, the intermediate course 1.6 metres.  The course itself will be a concrete channel with impermeable liner, the obstacles a combination of natural rock, concrete and moveable plastic units.

Approval was seen as a momentous occasion for Broxbourne by the committee and the positive vote was greeted by spontaneous applause in the council chamber.

The passage of approval had to negotiate several “stoppers”.  Concerns were raised in the chamber by a representative from Essex County Council regarding traffic on some local roads, conditions will be imposed on the planning consent. Concerns were also raised about the lack of car parking for a venue that may well be a venue for national and international events. Approval has the condition that any event to be held at the venue, which will attract more than 500 visitors, will require an Event Management Plan to be submitted to the Local Planning Authority for approval in writing.

Car Parking may certainly be a problem for major events, there being provision for only 119 cars.  Of these 42 will be dedicated to the elite white water canoe centre, 24 public spaces and the remaining 53 spaces will be overflow spaces in grass bays along the access drive. However it was recognised that it would not be financially viable to increase permanent provision on site for situations that will occur infrequently.  The Olympics will only be using the venue for 4 days it was suggested.

Hours of use agreed as part of the consent are:
Monday to Saturday 8am to 11pm
Sundays, Bank and Public Holidays 10am to 8pm

Whilst approval does not mean the centre will operate throughout these times, the floodlighting will mean that it can be used in the evenings.

Locals concerned about disruption during the building phase will note that building hours are limited to 8am to 6pm weekdays and 8am to 1pm Saturday.

Six letters of comment had been received from adjacent owners / occupiers.  Three were in support with three objecting.

The concerns raised were:

• Public access to the marshes would be restricted and the marshes spoilt
• The Lee Valley Regional Park is obsessed with tarmac paths
• The facility would totally change the area
• A right of way would be affected
• Transport links with the area are not good enough for the Olympic visitor numbers
• The course would be unsightly and damaging to the environment
• There would be extra traffic cluttering towns in the Lee Valley
• The green quite areas in Broxbourne would be reduced
• The construction seems very close to Westminster Court, Eleanor Way.

Support welcomed the social and environmental benefits to the Waltham Cross area.  The landscape to be created and the new pedestrian routes, as well as increased visitor numbers to the Regional Park and nearby visitor attractions.

It is estimated that the facility will bring up to £12 million of additional revenue to local businesses per annum.

Technorati Tags: 2012, Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre, Canoe, kayak, London, Olympic, planning, rafting, White Water