Today at 12.20pm a group of people will meet at Ness Point, Lowestoft to walk along the sea front and then on to the Water Lane Sports Centre to mark the awarding of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics to London.

The Games represent a fantastic opportunity to showcase a whole range of sports which currently do not have a high media profile.

London 2012 has the potential to inspire a generation of young people to take up sport and also serve as a reminder to adults of the benefits of being physically active.

This is a rare opportunity to have a major world event practically on our doorstep. Although not having any of the Olympic events staged locally the Waveney area can play a part in the lead in to the Games. In this respect it is hoped that Waveney Gymnastics Club will be successful in their bid to host a 2012 Training Camp.

The local area is unique in having Britain’s most easterly Ness Point. What a statement it would be to the nation in demonstrating a nationwide involvement if Ness Point together with the other cardinal points could have an important role to play. With this in mind seeds are being sown towards influencing the path of the Torch Relay to take in Ness Point.

The Active Waveney Sports Partnership will be playing a key local role through co-ordinating a range of activity right up to the Games, in particular as part of the four year Cultural Olympiad which starts at the handover point from the 2008 Bejjing Games.

There is a lot of successful sport taking place in the Waveney area. This was reflected in the recent Suffolk Football Association Charter Club and Volunteer Awards where local clubs and volunteers almost made a clean sweep. However, there is still a challenge to raise regular participation in sport and active recreation in the area. The percentage of adults participating at the recommended level of 3 x 30 minutes per week in Waveney is 17.2. The challenge for the Active Waveney Sports Partnership though education, sport, local authority and other partners in the public, voluntary and private sectors will be to increase this participation rate.

The 2012 Olympics and Paralympics are a unique opportunity for the nation and the people of Lowestoft and Waveney.