LONDON 2012: Olympic torch relay to broaden Games excitement

By Gerard Meagher, Sportsbeat

THE arrival of the Olympic Torch in the UK will ensure the Games go out of the capital and across the nation, according to presenting partner Lloyds TSB.

NATIONWIDE: The Olympic Torch Relay will ensure that London 2012 excitement is felt across the country, says presenting partner Lloyds TSB

The 70-day Torch Relay route, which will visit 74 locations, starting on May 19 next year, was today unveiled by London 2012 chairman Seb Coe, who also launched the search for 8000 inspirational people to carry the Olympic Flame.

Lloyds TSB is the only national presenting partner of the Torch Relay, which will make sure that the Olympic Flame will be within one hour's travel of 95 per cent of the population across the 70 days.

In announcing the route and the search for the Torchbearers, plenty of emphasis was placed on youth with LOCOG hoping that half of the 8000 places will go to people between 12 and 24 years of age.

Lloyds TSB aim to build publicity for the Torch Relay by embarking on a tour of Olympic Torches, visiting the scheduled celebration sites that the Flame will pass through next year.

And Sally Hancock, Director, 2012 Partnership and Group Sponsorship at Lloyds TSB believes the Olympic Torch Relay will see nationwide interest in the Games skyrocket.

"The focus for us is to bring the Games to the communities across the country," said Hancock.

"And we feel that there will be a groundswell in interest in the Games as a result.

"When Lloyds TSB became a partner of the Games in 2007 we wanted to do something that perhaps no-one else could do and something that would give us a credible position with the Games.

"We feel that one of the biggest differentiators between ourselves and the other London 2012 partners is that we're on practically every high street in the country.

"This opportunity to really take the Games out to communities was something that I felt the Bank could do with real authenticity.

"And so the Olympic Torch Relay was always in our plans, as was the Live Sites and other schemes such as the Local Heroes and National School Sport Week.

"We've been very keen to get behind community activities and we have the view that we would not emphasis London more than anywhere else because the Games are very meaningful to all parts of the UK.

"The athletes that compete for GB at London 2012 are from all over the country after all and we've seen that interest in the Games is universal across Great Britain."

Lloyds TSB will oversee one of four public nomination campaigns to find Torchbearers who will have a story of personal achievement and/or contribution to their local community.

And Sir Chris Hoy, four-time Olympic gold medallist and Lloyds TSB (Bank of Scotland) ambassador for the London 2012 Games said: ‘It's great that Lloyds TSB (Bank of Scotland) is bringing the Games closer to local communities and inviting the public to nominate someone to carry the Olympic Flame.

"I know who I'm nominating and urge everyone to nominate and recognise the people who've made a difference to their local community."