Active 500 (01/01/2012 - 27/07/2012)

If you’ve ever been inspired by watching the Olympics, seen a sport on TV you’d like to try, or have been thinking about getting back into an activity you once played - then the Active 500 campaign will make it easier to turn your thoughts into reality.

Active Newcastle is absolutely determined to make the 2012 Olympic Games, which take place in the UK for the first time since 1948, something the people of Newcastle will feel a part of and remember for generations to come.

In the lead up to the Games, Newcastle upon Tyne, as an official Olympic City, will host Active 500 - an innovative campaign that aims to encourage people, in the 500 days leading up to the start of the Olympics on July 26th, to get involved in one of the 30 Olympic, or 21 Paralympic, sports.

With the help of sports clubs around the City, the centrepiece of this campaign will be the Active 500 calendar which will run from the 15th March 2011 until the opening day of the 2012 games. This 500-day calendar will be themed into ‘sport weeks’ - with each Olympic activity being allocated two specific weeks.

During these weeks, City sports clubs will run sessions to inspire people, of all ages and abilities, to get involved in an Olympic sport. These sessions might be an open evening, a free taster session, or even an open performance for people to watch! In addition to this participation by sports clubs, Olympic sports sessions will also be held in Newcastle City Council, and partner, facilities to widen the opportunities for people to get involved.

The Active 500 campaign intends to capture and reflect the rising sense of anticipation and excitement as the 2012 Games draw near. For Newcastle to be one of the host cities is a fantastic opportunity for the region and by raising participation in physical activity it is hoped that people will be inspired to really feel, and be a part of, the Olympic spirit.

Other elements of the Active 500 campaign will include the School 500 Games in June 2011 (the largest single-authority multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK) and a history project aiming to identify as many people as possible that have been touched by the Olympics in the last 65 years e.g. competitors, volunteers, coaches, officials, and spectators.

The Launch Event for Active 500 will take place at the Newcastle Civic Centre on the 14th March 2011 (500 days before 2012 games begin) and will include a video address by Lord Coe, interviews with past, present and hopefully future Olympians, Active 500 sports club testimonials, a dance Performance, and the unveiling of the Active 500 sports calendar.

Ultimately, Active 500 is all about harnessing the enthusiasm that the 2012 Olympic Games will bring to the City - to get More People, More Active, More Often! The campaign is also a fantastic opportunity for the City’s sports clubs, that deliver Olympic sports, to raise their profile, attract new people and be a part of the 2012 Olympic celebrations.

If you live or work in Newcastle, are a visitor to the City and would like to find out more or if your sports club is interested in getting involved and would like more information on the Active 500 campaign please contact Kate Hall by E-mail at kate.hall@newcastle.gov.uk or telephone 0191 278 3348.