One in three Sussex torchbearers is from outside the county (From The Argus)
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One in three Sussex torchbearers is from outside the county
11:30am Wednesday 4th July 2012 in News By Tim Ridgway and Charlotte Pemberton
FLAMING CHEEK: One in three Sussex torchbearers come from outside the county
It was dubbed as a way to celebrate our community heroes – yet one in three people carrying the Olympic torch through our streets is not from Sussex.
In two weeks' time, tens of thousands of people will line the streets to welcome the fabled flame to the county on its way to the London games.
Yet between the charity fundraisers, world record holders and people who have dedicated their lives to helping others, there will be Olympic officials and representatives from multinational corporations who live abroad.
This despite organisers promising it would “enable local communities to shine a light on the best their area has to offer”.
In total, of about 150 people carrying the flame through Sussex, 57 do not live here.
What do we know about the Sussex torchbearers? Click here to find out.
It comes as a blow to the dozens of people who were unsuccessfully nominated through The Argus’ Carry The Torch campaign.
Shani Hart, of the Old Boat Corner Community Centre in Hollingbury, Brighton, nominated single mother Julie Drake, of Carden Avenue, Brighton, for her work inspiring her community.
Last night, Ms Hart said: “When Julie didn't get it I presumed whoever got it was in a better position – having sponsors carrying the torch is not what they made the torch relay out to be.”
Brighton-based swimming teacher Anne Bickmore, who nominated 13-year-old disabled girl Sophie Wells, from Eastbourne, said: “It's a pity people who deserve to carry the torch weren't given the opportunity.”
There are 21 people listed to carry the torch through Brighton and Hove on July 16 and 17. Among them is 17-year-old Zachary Narvaez who is a model pupil at Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College and raised thousands for charity.
Other torchbearers include Colin Bentley, 42, from Brighton who is a nursing assistant on an HIV ward and community figure Peter Avey, 74, who was an RNLI volunteer and runs a café in Kings Road Arches, Brighton.
Another is police officer Mark Hill, 48, of Hassocks, who received an Argus Achievement Award for going “Beyond the Call of Duty”.
And The Argus can reveal our celebrity torchbearer will be the 1980 Olympic champion iceskater Robin Cousins.
Yet eight torchbearers have no links to Sussex. Two are from France, one is from Germany, another is from Sweden and holds a senior post at Specsavers.
Gaelle Guerchet, of Malville, France – more than 500 miles away from Brighton – was nominated for being president of a sports group in Africa.
Another torchbearer Ximo Peris, 42, London, has been nominated for holding media workshops for school children.
Yet The Argus can reveal he actually cre- ated a film which was used by the London 2012 team when bidding for the games.
Of 12 people carrying it through Bognor, only one actually lives in the town while no one carrying it through Arundel, one of the county’s most historic towns, is from West Sussex.
Julia Zeen, 30, a freelance graphic designer from Brighton, was selected to carry the torch through Lancing by sponsors Coca Cola.
She is currently designing the multinational’s range of pin badges for London 2012.
A group of eight torchbearers have been nominated by French firm EDF Energy which is sponsoring the games. The firm is one of the largest companies in Sussex with offices in Hove and Worthing and field staff across the county.
Glenn Ewing, EDF Energy’s head of customer services for the region, said: “These are eight incredible individuals who have overcome adversity, or supported their local community or raised money for fantastic causes, going above and beyond in how they inspire others.
“We’re proud that they will be representing EDF, their Sussex communities, families and friends as part of the Olympic Torch Relay.”
Locog was last night not available for comment on the story.
However, on its website it said the torch relay would “enable local communities to shine a light on the best their area has to offer”.
It added: “We have done our best to make sure each torchbearer carries the flame in, or near to, their local area to help friends and family cheer them on along the way.
“8,000 inspirational people will carry the Olympic Flame as it journeys across the UK.
“Nominated by someone they know, it will be their moment to shine, inspiring millions of people watching in their community, in the UK and worldwide.”
Did you nominate someone to carry the torch who missed out? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments(35)
Hove Actually
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11:57am Wed 4 Jul 12
sbiscorrupt
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12:20pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Vigilia
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12:25pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Isaac Rinkfern
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1:03pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Ligand Fields
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1:41pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Isaac Rinkfern wrote:So basically it's Waldorf Salad all over again? ("well let me tell you something - this is EXACTLY HOW NAZI GERMANY STARTED" / "No, I won't have that - it's a place in Eastbourne" etc etc)
As the modern tradition of torch bearing was dreamt up for the 1936 Berlin olympics by the government in power there at the time, some might say that the selection of torch bearers for London is completely in keeping with tradition.
Metro Reader
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2:11pm Wed 4 Jul 12
For the avoidance of all doubt, I am NOT advocating anyone go and slap him, just that his smugness is creepy, Like Dave and Nick, or DICK for short!
Ligand Fields
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2:18pm Wed 4 Jul 12
John Fallon
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2:43pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Joshiman
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2:43pm Wed 4 Jul 12
RickH
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2:49pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Hove Actually wrote:I believe Will.i.am was given the 'honour' of carrying the torch following his work in the US for under-privileged kids (especially girls) to encourage them to engage with maths, science, engineering and technology and mirroring that work by donating £1/2M to the Prince's Trust to help set up a school in Stratford doing the same. What have you achieved today?
Worked out it was all a con when I saw "Will I am not" carrying it. This is rewards for the boys with a few locals thrown in to keep the masses quiet as usual, same as the tickets
Ligand Fields
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3:02pm Wed 4 Jul 12
smurph
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3:26pm Wed 4 Jul 12
RickH wrote:And this is the 'London Olypmics'. What exactly has he done for the UK except be on The Voice and wear some ridiculous clothes!!
Hove Actually wrote: Worked out it was all a con when I saw "Will I am not" carrying it. This is rewards for the boys with a few locals thrown in to keep the masses quiet as usual, same as the ticketsI believe Will.i.am was given the 'honour' of carrying the torch following his work in the US for under-privileged kids (especially girls) to encourage them to engage with maths, science, engineering and technology and mirroring that work by donating £1/2M to the Prince's Trust to help set up a school in Stratford doing the same. What have you achieved today?
GIVE UP
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3:34pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Crystal Ball
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3:51pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Corrupt Scumbag
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3:54pm Wed 4 Jul 12
So much ungrateful moaning from tax-paying losers who will be paying for it for many generations to come.
I plan to watch it driking Bolliger...need to make myself scarce from from the bank job until things blow over anyway.
Ashles
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4:16pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Oh, was that not what I was supposed to take from the story?
Morpheus
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4:20pm Wed 4 Jul 12
mimseycal
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4:51pm Wed 4 Jul 12
fredflintstone1
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5:09pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Vigilia wrote:But they're drawing a public salary rather than carrying a torch. What about the carbon footprint of this and the Hitleresque symbolism attaching to it? Hitler persecuted travellers. So surely the Greens can't endorse it?
Bit like Brighton & Hove City Council then. Presumably intended to counter any possible "in-breeding."
Old Ladys Gin
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5:10pm Wed 4 Jul 12
The Olympic games are about inclusion not exclusion.
Jo Wadsworth
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5:21pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Old Ladys Gin wrote:Just to clarify, the one in three people from outside the county actually live outside the county, and in most cases probably have no links with it.
Sussex is not an island and in any county there may well be 1 in 3 who come from outside.
The Olympic games are about inclusion not exclusion.
Cabin fever
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5:31pm Wed 4 Jul 12
If not, I don't really see the problem, if two-thirds still do?
Ted-Kelly1
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5:40pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Maxwell's Ghost
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6:06pm Wed 4 Jul 12
I thought the torch procession was also about rewarding hard working ordinary people.
How wrong. Just like everything else in the UK money gets you whatever you want and stuff the ordinary folk.
SicklySeagull
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7:13pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Coe stated that those who had not been successful in obtaining tickets would turn out to watch the torch, in view of the fact that the corporate bunch have creamed off the top events i am astounded that so many are still queuing for the crumbs from the table.
Londoners have had their Underground disrupted for weeks and when the games do actually commence they are expected to change their commuting times to ensure those travelling to events are not delayed,added to this major road routes will be given over to those attending the games in particular the officials.
I have always had an interest in sport however as the way the ordinary man in the street has been treated my interest has dwindled to the extent that i am planning a break to ensure i learn as little as possible about the games.
David Jacobs (Jacks)
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7:37pm Wed 4 Jul 12
Ligand Fields wrote:Probably none,as they are constantly getting names of roads wrong.i.e Viaduct Terrace which should be Viaduct Road.There has never been a Viaduct Terrace in Brighton!
Just a query: how many of the Argus staff were born in Sussex?
mrtricky
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10:57pm Wed 4 Jul 12
How often to we read of an organization refusing to comment on issues when answers are needed!
adorable
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8:26am Thu 5 Jul 12
Sarah Booker
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10:46am Thu 5 Jul 12
David Jacobs (Jacks) wrote:Viaduct Terrace is along Viaduct Road.
Ligand Fields wrote:Probably none,as they are constantly getting names of roads wrong.i.e Viaduct Terrace which should be Viaduct Road.There has never been a Viaduct Terrace in Brighton!
Just a query: how many of the Argus staff were born in Sussex?
Cabin fever
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12:51pm Thu 5 Jul 12
David Jacobs (Jacks) wrote:Really? Someone better tell Google then...
Ligand Fields wrote:Probably none,as they are constantly getting names of roads wrong.i.e Viaduct Terrace which should be Viaduct Road.There has never been a Viaduct Terrace in Brighton!
Just a query: how many of the Argus staff were born in Sussex?
http://www.google.co
.uk/search?client=sa
fari&rls=en&q=viaduc
t+terrace+brighton&i
e=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&red
ir_esc=&ei=V3_1T6PJF
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anonymous coward
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2:40pm Thu 5 Jul 12
To be representative, it should be more like 2 in 3....
Baldseagull
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6:10pm Thu 5 Jul 12
I adore Maria Magno who is listed as raising £200k for charity, nearly all of that was raised in Crawley with events that she organised and was raised for various pieces of specialist equipment for Crawley Hospital.
She is a fantastic character, about 4'6" tall but larger than life and is much loved in Crawley, I would think she is unknown in Worthing.
RickH
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7:12pm Thu 5 Jul 12
smurph wrote:I obviously didn't make myself clear first time around, apologies. He has donated all his fee from The Voice (circa £1/2M) to the Prince's Trust in order to establish a school in East London specialising in teaching maths, science, technology and engineering to children who would normally go into those areas. This mirrors his work in LA that has raised huge sums of money so that kids can get a decent education and not be dragged into gang culture. He is IMHO an excellent role model, ploughing loads of time & money into his charity i.am.angel in order to promote education as an escape from poverty and criminality. Is that enough or do you want more? Like the previous poster, I'll ask the same question 'What have you achieved today'?
RickH wrote:And this is the 'London Olypmics'. What exactly has he done for the UK except be on The Voice and wear some ridiculous clothes!!Hove Actually wrote: Worked out it was all a con when I saw "Will I am not" carrying it. This is rewards for the boys with a few locals thrown in to keep the masses quiet as usual, same as the ticketsI believe Will.i.am was given the 'honour' of carrying the torch following his work in the US for under-privileged kids (especially girls) to encourage them to engage with maths, science, engineering and technology and mirroring that work by donating £1/2M to the Prince's Trust to help set up a school in Stratford doing the same. What have you achieved today?
Terry K
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11:22am Thu 12 Jul 12
Ligand Fields says...
11:39am Wed 4 Jul 12