Paralympic Torch Relay: England's Flame to visit Trafalgar Square, Royal Opera House and Houses of Parliament on journey around London‏

·         Flame will visit a number of iconic London landmarks

·         London Marathon star Claire Lomas will light a celebration cauldron in Trafalgar Square

·         Images from the day will be available here

The London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has revealed the details around the lighting of a ceremonial cauldron in Trafalgar Square tomorrow to celebrate the 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay and Paralympic Games.

The cauldron will be lit using the English National Flame which was created at Scafell Pike, England’s highest peak, by Scouts striking a ferrocerium rod against a rough steel surface to create sparks.

8am - Trafalgar Square:  Claire Lomas, 32, will light the celebration cauldron in Trafalgar Square.  Claire was an event rider and chiropractor until an eventing accident in 2007 left her paralysed from chest down. Since then she met her husband, Dan, had a baby girl (Maisie), learnt to ski and fundraised for spinal research. She recently walked the London Marathon in a pioneering robotic suit raising £204,000 for Spinal Research. She is now training for a cycling challenge in 2013.

During the event, 26 Flame ambassadors from the nations and regions will each collect a splinter of the Flame in a lantern to take back to the various Flame celebrations being held around the country.

A number of photo moments (not open to media but in house footage and photos to be supplied) have been organised around tomorrow’s cauldron lighting:

6.45am – Royal Opera House: Eddie Marson will carry the Flame at the Royal Opera House. He recently played Dr Ludwig Guttmann the BBC2 Drama the Best of Men. Dr Guttmann was the pioneering Neurologist who founded the Stoke Mandeville Games.

11am – Notting Hill Carnival: Jonathan Coggan and Arun Patel, who were both nominated by Lloyds TSB, will carry the Flame in front of carnival performers in the costumes they will wear for the Notting Hill carnival. Jonathan was paralysed from the neck down in a car crash 11 years ago. With no feeling in 90 percent of his body, no movement in his hands and sensation in just 3 fingers Jonathan could have given up on life. Wheelchair Rugby opened up to Jonathan as a sport however, and through the last 10 years he has made the very best of so little. He now plays regularly for the British Wheelchair Rugby team and has represented his country at both the Athens and Beijing Paralympic Games. Arun Patel, was born in Uganda, in 1953. At the tender age of 1, he contracted polio in his right leg and subsequently developed post-polio symptoms in the left leg as well. Arun now lives in Ilford just 6 miles from the Olympic stadium. For the past 10 years, Arun has immersed himself into improving the plight of children affected by polio, particularly those from the lower socio-economic class. With the help of his two brothers and many friends he set up a charity, Polio Children, which is registered in the UK and the USA. To date, the charity has raised over £1,000,000 and helped thousands of children access basic nutrition, education, healthcare, and vocational training.

1pm – Houses of Parliament: Roy Kerwin and Alan Richardson, who were both nominated through Sainsbury’s, will carry the Flame at the Houses of Parliament. Roy was making deliveries as part of his role as a driver at Sainsbury’s when he came to the aid of a customer who was in his driveway and had a car accident when his foot slipped off the brake and onto the accelerator.  The car crashed into the customer’s wife and an iron railing. Roy helped his wife and told her not to move and remain calm and then made sure the husband was okay. When the paramedics arrived, he helped them get the wife into the ambulance. Alan was delivering groceries to a customer when there was no reply at door or by phone. Alan knew the customer well as he had delivered to them many times before. After speaking to the daughter on the phone, he entered by forcing the back door to find the customer unwell following a suspected stroke. He called paramedics and assisted them in getting him to hospital.

3pm – DLR: Aneurin Wood, who was nominated through BT, will carry the Flame on the DLR from Mudchute to South Quay. He is part of Inclusive Sport Hackney: this team’s nomination reflects the diversity of Hackney`s special and inclusive sporting experience. Wheelchair basketball, boccia, athletics, badminton and wheelchair tennis will all be represented. All the coaches nominated have dedicated their long-term commitment and passion to giving their aspiring juniors the strongest possible foundations to aim higher and train harder. As mentors they have freely given their time voluntarily, travelling with and supporting their teams through competitive highs and lows, encouraging fair play throughout. All are far too modest to put themselves forward as vital community beacons. Inspirationally lighting up the way for the next generation of competitors and coaches, they deserve to be celebrated by all on an extraordinary day.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: “The National Flame in England will help to light the way to the Paralympic Games. It will also give people the chance to celebrate the amazing achievements of the inspirational Torchbearers who all embody the Paralympic values of courage, determination, inspiration and equality.”

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "Only two weeks ago we showed the world what we're made of by hosting a tremendous Olympic Games and finishing with the highest ranking in the medals table for more than 100 years. Next week we will do it all again when the Paralympic Games come home to the UK. A record number of tickets have been sold for the Games and the whole country will be getting right behind ParalympicsGB.

"The lighting of the cauldron on Friday marks the beginning of what I am sure will be a fantastic showcase for the UK and I hope the Games inspire many other young people - disabled and non-disabled alike - to choose sport and aim to be the very best that they can be."

Minister for Sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson said: “The start of the Torch Relay marks the moment when the London 2012 Paralympics comes alive.  This will be a second fantastic celebration of sport and an opportunity to showcase the achievements of a remarkable group of people.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: "With just five days to go London is ready to make history and host the most successful Paralympic Games ever seen. The excitement, anticipation, and irrepressible desire to pick up a Union Jack and cheer on Team GB, is building right across the capital as we watch our venues being transformed, the athletes arrive and, now, the Agitos gleaming on Tower Bridge. So get involved, get out on the streets and show your support as the Paralympic Flame, and all the incredible endeavours it represents, makes its way through London." To coincide with the lighting of the Paralympic Flame,  the Mayor of London Boris Johnson today gave the order for a giant Paralympic Agitos, measuring 16m wide by 12.5m high, to be lowered from iconic landmark Tower Bridge.

Sally Hancock, Director, London 2012 Partnership at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “We are looking forward to the English Flame arriving in Trafalgar Square on Friday to light the Celebration Cauldron ahead of the Flames uniting to form the Paralympic Flame on Tuesday. Lloyds TSB will be bringing the excitement of the Paralympic Games to the Flame Festivals around the UK and communities along the 24 hour Paralympic Torch Relay route to London. We are immensely proud of our inspirational Torchbearers such as Arun James from Ilford and Jonathan Coggan from Chelmsford who will be carrying the English Flame in London on Friday to celebrate their phenomenal achievements in their community. We are calling on everyone to come to the Flame Festivals to see their National Flame arrive in their capital and line the route to cheer on our Paralympic Torchbearers as they make their way to London in this unique relay."

Jat Sahota, Head of Sponsorship, Sainsbury’s commented: “As proud partners of the Paralympic Torch Relay and the Flame Festivals, we have already taken the Torch into Sainsbury’s stores right across the country. We now look forward to sharing this once in a lifetime experience with our Sainsbury’s customers, colleagues and Torchbearers as the National Flames begin their journey to the Olympic Stadium”

Suzi Williams, Director, BT Group Marketing and Brand, added: "At BT we understand the power of Paralympic sport to inspire people, that's why we've brought teams together to run with the Paralympic Torch. It’s fantastic that people have the opportunity to share the Flame’s journey to London - this is their moment to be at the heart of a once in a lifetime experience.”
The Paralympic Flame will be created by uniting the four National Flames during a special ceremony from 4.30pm-8pm at Stoke Mandeville, the spiritual home of the Paralympic movement, on Tuesday 28^th August. The Flame will then be carried by Torchbearers, working in teams of five, during a 24-hour relay to the Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The Relay starts at 8pm and finishes the next day at 10pm. It will travel through Aylesbury, Weston Turville, Aston Clinton, Tring, Berkhamsted, Bourne End, Watford, Bushey, Harrow, Brent, Barnet, City of Westminster, Camden, The City of London, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich, Hackney, Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham and Newham.