Three members of the University who have excelled in volunteering activity: Ed Roberts, Catherine Potterton and Mark Fliegauf, will be among the Torchbearers when the Olympic flame arrives in Cambridge this weekend.
Three members of the University who have excelled in volunteering activity: Ed Roberts, Catherine Potterton and Mark Fliegauf, will be among the Torchbearers when the Olympic flame arrives in Cambridge this weekend.
These students and recent graduates were nominated by Samsung, Olympic Torch presenting partner, and the University, in recognition of their inspiring charitable and volunteering activities.
Members of Cambridge University Officer Training Corps will also be taking part in the Torch’s arrival, providing a guard of honour as it travels through the city.
These students and recent graduates were nominated by Samsung, Olympic Torch presenting partner, and the University, in recognition of their inspiring charitable and volunteering activities.
Ed Roberts (Christ’s College) is a Junior Research Fellow and former doctoral student working on systemic effects of cancer development. Since 2005, he has been involved in Linkline, a student-run support phone-line for Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University students. He has been organisation co-ordinator as well as its public face. During his time with Linkline he implemented a constitution, re-wrote the training manual, recruited new volunteers and secured funding.
He has also been a volunteer for SexYOUality, a local lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) charity, since 2008, later becoming a Trustee. From 2009, Ed has volunteered for Cambridge and District Community Mediation Service (CDCMS), becoming part of a pilot project to expand the organisation’s homelessness mediation work, and researching into new areas of mediation required in the County. He has also been involved in numerous scientific outreach projects and volunteers for Centre 33, a Cambridgeshire youth charity, working with the Young Carers Project supporting 8-18 year olds looking after a family member.
Catherine Potterton (Wolfson College) graduated with a degree in Politics, Psychology and Sociology last year. In 2006 she became a Trustee of The Brittle Bone Society; a charity which supports those living with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), a condition which Catherine also has. Catherine worked to establish an annual event called VOICE which encourages young people with OI to work towards independent living through peer support, discussions and speeches from experts such as specialist doctors, Paralympic champions and TV personalities.
Mark Fliegauf (Emmanuel College), a PhD student at the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS), has played a key role in the creation of the not-for-profit organisation Aiducation International UK during his time at Cambridge. As Trustee and former Chief Operations Officer for the NGO, his aim was to help students in developing countries pursue secondary education through one-to-one scholarship from donors in the UK. Aiducation international UK has so far been able to award 24 scholarships, each worth approximately £1,400, to gifted Kenyan school students since 2009.
Up to 60 members of Cambridge University Officer Training Corps (CUOTC) will line the Torch’s route in pairs, falling-in behind the Torch as it passes them by.
The Torch reaches Parker’s Piece at around 6.50pm on Saturday 7 July, after a full day of cultural events including a Fun Lab for all ages organised by the University’s Public Engagement team.
CUOTC will have a presence at the Olympic Film Tent from 11am to 11pm on Parker’s Piece, where all-day screenings of short, feature length and community films from local film-makers will be screened.
On the morning of 8 July the Torch relay begins early with a private event in Great Court, Trinity College, before the torchbearer takes the flame on to a punt at 6.35am.
The relay continues by punt down the river from Trinity towards Magdalene Bridge, where the torch route will continue up Castle Street, towards Huntingdon Road and out of the City.
Due to capacity and safety constraints, Trinity College regrets that it will not be possible for the public to view the run of the Olympic Torch around Great Court in Trinity College on the morning of Sunday 8 July, but the event will be broadcast live on BBC television.
Members of the public are welcome on the Backs to view the passage of the Torch down the river by punt from Trinity towards Magdalene Bridge.
Entry to the backs of Trinity College will be through the Avenue Gate from Queen's Road from 5am onwards. Entrance to the backs of St John’s College will be through the gates on Queen's Road only, from 5.45am onwards.
In both cases, numbers will be limited for safety reasons and viewing will be restricted of the passage of the Torch.
Attendees who are wheelchair users are asked to enter via the St John’s College gate on Queen’s Road.
There will be no access via other Cambridge college grounds or along bridges on the punt route.
More information on viewing points throughout the city is available here.
The University will also be keeping the public updated on the latest viewing positions and Torch movements via the Twitter hashtag #london2012torchrelay
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.
