I am feeling uninspired

Do you know about the Inspire Mark for projects inspired by London 2012? Or about the Get Set network for schools? Well, I guess you are like all the people I meet who say "The What?".

I have just been online to get the form for the Inspire Mark. I was on five different pages to be told I need to contact the programmer. He left at the end of February and hasn't been replaced yet.

For schools to be eligible for competitions and free tickets they need to be registered with Get Set. It is clear that people are not understanding this judging by the list for Devon and Cornwall schools involved. It is also not clear how long it takes to get an approval. I now learn from a school I encouraged to complete the application that it took six weeks. People need to know this.

I know my way around the system and I can ask people who know the current information what to do, but the website needs to be really spot on.

Sport can help peace process

There is a timely article on how sport and sports people can be important for diplomacy. It says it all far better than I can while making many good points.

It made me appreciate that if a series of games of football ease tensions in the Middle East and let people see some of the things that we all have in common then it is worth supporting.

Read Joel Bouzou's piece at www.insidethegames.biz/blogs/12748

Fossil Festival weekend

The Lyme Regis Fossil Festival takes place next weekend from Friday the 29th April to Sunday 1st May in the lovely Dorset seaside town on the Jurassic Coast. Fans of the film The French Lieutenant's woman will recognise the cob.
This event is organised by one of RELAYS partners. Most events are free and you can:

• Learn about fossils and marine life from top UK experts


• Enjoy music, theatre,films and hands-on art


• Take part in the Fossil fair, walks, talks and boat trips

I will be there volunteering and so I hope it stays sunny!

For more details visit www.fossilfestival.com

Another 500 days to go...

On Sunday it was 500 days until the start of the Paralympics. Those tickets will go on sale in September. I think I might try to get some for the cycling so that I can experience a velodrome.

And this is me with the Olympic medal...

Following on from the visit by Heather Fell I have had the photos and I am pleased. They were taken by David Hedges a final year student from the University of Plymouth. My favourite one is the male student having his photo taken by a friend while he grins and holds the Silver medal. He looks so happy he could have won it!

You can see the photos and read more about the evening at www.universitiessouthwest.ac.uk/relays.

Should we have a referendum?

My brother asked me how I will vote in the May referendum. I admitted I didn't know much about it, but I did know about the row between the British Olympic Committee (BOC) and LOCOG over payments. The website www.insidethebiz.com had the full judgement from the International Olympic Committee(IOC). As I said to him, if I were the BOC's lawyer I'd be telling them they haven't a chance of winning. In the process you have also upset everyone from the IOC to the Sports Minister. They have no friends in the media either. So yes I was smug yesterday to read that talks are underway again. I would like to be a fly on the wall of that room! Two former Tory MPs having a spat and each claiming the high ground. As regards the referendum I am still not decided.