We were there, of course, to represent London 2012 and to talk about the many opportunities available to young people, teachers and parents around the Games whether it be jobs, business opportunities, information on the Cultural Olympiad and how to register to volunteer during Games time. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at the response we got. We had a prime location right inside the door as you entered and with our brightly coloured banners, you could hardly miss us!
After doing a few events like this now, I can see that the general mood towards the Games is steadily becoming more and more positive. Literally from the start, it was a non-stop steady stream of positive comments and questions. Popular questions that we could answer included 'How can my business become involved?', 'I am a teacher, how can I inspire my pupils?' and 'how do I volunteer?' amongst many others.
One person that stood out for me was a disabled person who had this idea that whatever they did, they could not get a job with us. I explained about our recruitment outreach programme for disabled people, >access now, which ensures an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the person specification for a job vacancy. I think I managed to turn their frown upside down!
I think all of the team had a great day and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves whilst trying to put across the London 2012 message. The posters about the four Paralympic values we were using that day really rang true: inspiration, determination, equality and courage.
