Paralympic Torch Relay: English Flame to be created by Scouts at the top of Scafell Pike

·         Mountaineer Karl Hinett and four Scouts will climb mountain on foot

·         Flame will be created by scouts at the summit

·         English Flame is one of four Flames being created across the UK

·         Images will be available here

At dawn on Wednesday 22 August, a group of Scouts and mountaineer, Karl Hinett, will climb Scafell Pike, England’s highest peak, to create the English National Flame as part of the London 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay.

At the mountain peak, they will use a ferrocerium rod and strike it against a rough steel surface to create the sparks that will create the Flame. The Flame will then be placed in a miner’s lantern and brought back down on foot. It will then be transferred to London for a day of Paralympic celebration on Friday 24^th August.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said: “The combination of teamwork and human endeavour being used to create the English Flame is a very fitting start to the Paralympic Torch Relay celebrations. This group of inspirational individuals will be lighting the way to a fantastic eleven days of sport.”

The climb is expected to take in the region of four hours and will be led by local mountain guides. The group of Scouts selected to take part in the Flame creation are Rebecca Haslam, 21 years old, Tom Lawson, 20 years old, David Harding, 17 years old, and Tom Usher, 16 years old. They will be led by Group Scout Leader, Geoff Price. They are all from communities local to Scafell Pike.

David Harding said: “I am very proud of climbing Scafell Pike and lighting the English Flame. I hope we do a great job for everyone.”

The group will also include mountaineer Karl Hinett from Tipton. Karl sustained multiple injuries in Iraq when he was badly burned in a petrol bomb attack. He has since gone on to climb mountains all over the world including Everest. In addition to Karl’s passion for climbing, he has also run in close to 100 marathons in two years, each time raising a large amount of funds for charity

Karl Hinett said “This is a huge honour. I can’t wait to get started up Scafell Pike, it’s a beautiful part of our country and the perfect location for this historic occasion.”

Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England at an altitude of 978 metres above sea level. It’s the third highest peak in the United Kingdom and located in the Lake District National Park. Across the United Kingdom, three other National Flames are to be created on Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa (Wales), Ben Nevis (Scotland) and Slieve Donard (Northern Ireland).

The four individual Flames will then be transferred to the nations’ capital cities where they will each become the focus for a day of Paralympic celebrations. The English Flame will light a ceremonial cauldron in Trafalgar Square on Friday 24 August.

For information about media accreditation to Trafalgar Square, please click here.

From the Paralympic celebrations in London, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the four National Flames will be taken to Stoke Mandeville, the spiritual home of the Paralympic movement, where they will be united during a special ceremony on Tuesday 28 August to create the London 2012 Paralympic Flame.

At the end of the ceremony, the 24-hour overnight relay route will see the Paralympic Flame carried 92 miles by 580 inspirational Torchbearers, working in teams of five, from Stoke Mandeville to the Olympic Stadium to officially open the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

36 communities from across the UK have also taken the opportunity to host Flame Celebration’s over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

LOCOG is encouraging over 15,000 Local Leaders to help light the way to the Paralympic Games by getting people together to make lanterns and attend their local Flame Festivals, Flame Celebrations or hold their own Light a Lantern events.

For further information about the London 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay, please visit http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/torch-relay/

The London 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay is presented by BT, Lloyds TSB and Sainsbury’s.

Suzi Williams, Director, BT Group Marketing and Brand, said: "At BT we understand the power of Paralympic sport to inspire people, that's why we're bringing teams together to run with the Paralympic Torch. It’s fantastic that this group of people have the opportunity to work together to start the Flame’s journey - this is their moment to be at the heart of a once in a lifetime experience."

Sally Hancock, Director, London 2012 Partnership at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “We are looking forward to the National Flames being lit on Wednesday marking the beginning of the Paralympic Torch Relay. Lloyds TSB will be bringing the excitement of the Paralympic Games to 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 who will be running in teams of five celebrating their phenomenal achievements within the 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”.