Olympic opportunities

Peter Green believes that the Olympic Games offer an opportunity for engagement and outreach

How do you respond to the idea of the 2012 Olympics in Britain? With excitement and anticipation, with resentment and doubt, or with indifference?  In the midst of our often mundane and busy lives, the Olympic Games taking place in Britain this summer represents a tremendous opportunity: an opportunity for all Quakers to live adventurously and to offer a witness to the spiritual in the midst of a celebration of physical achievement. It also gives us a chance to connect with the world community of Friends.

Background

The Games are founded on worthy values and goals and are inspirational for many people all around the world:

Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.… The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.

- Olympic Charter

The Olympic Games are being held from 27 July to 12 August and the Paralympic Games from 29 August to 9 September. They were last held in Britain in 1948; so to have them held here in 2012 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Although the main sites are in London, there are many others elsewhere, including Eton Dorney (near Windsor), Weymouth, Coventry, Glasgow, Cardiff and Manchester. The Olympic Torch Relay, prior to the Games, will also visit, or be within easy reach of, most places in Britain.

During the run-up to the Games and during the Games themselves, athletes, their families, organisers, officials, spectators, media and others will be coming to London and other Olympic sites. The estimates include: 10,500 Olympic and 4,000 Paralympic athletes; 6,000 Olympic coaches and officials; 2,300 Paralympic coaches and officials; 25,000 media; and a 200,000 workforce including 70,000 volunteers. This huge temporary community needs serving both spiritually and pastorally.

I was appointed by North East Thames Area Meeting in 2007 to be their Quaker representative to the Olympics, since our area hosts many of the Olympic sites. There are two organisations through which churches are supporting the Olympics: the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG), which is concerned with service on site, and More Than Gold, a Christian charity that aims to provide support to churches and suggests programmes and activities all over Britain. (More Than Gold decided that they would let Quakers be involved even though we have no creed!) Quakers could participate in their programmes and offer service not only to those attending the Games but also to those in their own communities. It could be an opportunity for outreach.

The way that More Than Gold works is that participating ‘churches’ are invited to explore what they feel called to do, drawing on the suggestions and resources of More Than Gold. As Quaker representative, I act as a link between Quaker communities and More Than Gold, so that Quakers will be able to participate in these programmes, not only in their area but in Britain generally.

Outreach opportunities

There are many opportunities for service and outreach, for example: volunteers are needed to help the Games organisers and More Than Gold, including help with the Torch Relay; hospitality can be provided not only to visitors from overseas, such as the families of competitors, through the family homestay programmes, but also to those in our own community.

More Than Gold is also developing programmes related to the significant social issues that major sporting events can create: homelessness, human trafficking and prostitution, fair trade, the environment and peace. It has already developed suggested programmes for action so that Friends can work with other Christian churches and plan initiatives in their community.

Possible ways we could be involved include: extending beyond working with Christian churches to working with other faiths; forming a link with overseas Friends who are coming to the Games from, for example, Kenya; providing service to teams training in preparation for the Games in or near our Area Meetings; offering ‘meet and greet’ on arrival and general hospitality to athletes’ families as well as bed and breakfast in family homes; offering our Meeting houses as hospitality centres near Games sites and the Torch Relay route and near the planned live large screen sites; and offering the facilities of Friends House to visitors, given its central location and proximity to a major arrival point (St Pancras International). We are only limited by our imaginations!

Hopes

I have great hopes for us:

• I hope that Quakers in Britain Yearly Meeting might recognise and welcome this extraordinary opportunity to engage with the Olympic visitors and our own local communities.
• I hope that I will shortly be able to start an informal Olympic group in my Area Meeting, made up of interested Friends and attenders, to explore, with the help of More Than Gold, what service we could offer.
• I hope that Meeting for Sufferings will explore how Quakers nationally might support the Olympic programme, and how Friends House might be offered as a resource to support More Than Gold.
• I hope, also, that these examples might encourage other Quakers around Britain to find out more and to explore what they are led to do.

I am ready to visit and talk with any interested group, and to liaise with More Than Gold to support them. Friends, how can we let this amazing chance to be of service and to make connections pass us by?

For further information:
www.morethangold.org.uk
www.london2012.com/about-us/nocs-and-npcs
www.london2012.com/olympic-torch-relay-map
www.london2012.com/live-sites

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Comments

I share Peter’s belief in the potential of the Olympics to be an opportunity to encourage good relations between peoples. My article of 24th November suggested that the Olympic Truce could be used to encourage governments and peoples to work for peace and I hope that the More than Gold campaign is also supporting this initiative. It would be good if Friends House could be used to draw attention to the Olympic Truce campaign. Trevor Evans

By jandt.evans@ntlworld.com on 1st February 2012 - 18:12

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