As one of the six Host Boroughs, Barking and Dagenham is proud to be one of the communities included in the Paralympic Torch Relay and the Council is planning an event to be proud of.
The Paralympic Torch welcome event will be held in Barking Park and will begin at 4pm.
The afternoons’ activities will include Paralympic sports challenges, lantern making workshops (to make lanterns for the later procession and flotilla) and face-painting!
Whilst the evening entertainment will include a twilight lantern procession, a flotilla of lanterns on Barking Park lake and ‘The Diamond’; an 11m diamond shaped structure which has a solo aerial dancer inside – a beautiful show that’s not to be missed.
The event will also include a large screen in the park for everyone to watch the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games.
Of course, this is all in addition to the welcoming of the Paralympic Torch Relay which is due to start from Barking Park at 8.38pm, and will travel along Longbridge Road, the Northern Relief Road and London Road, until exiting the borough via Barking Road at approximately 9.02pm
Leader of the Council, Cllr Liam Smith, said: “Once again, as a Host Borough, we are proud to have such a unique opportunity to get involved in the Games.
“I hope that people from all over the borough will line the streets of Torch Relay and come along to the event in Barking Park.”
The Torch Relay will begin from Stoke Mandeville, the spiritual home of the Paralympic movement, where the four National Flames will be united during a special ceremony on Tuesday 28 August to create the London 2012 Paralympic Flame.
At 8pm that evening, the Paralympic Flame will embark on its 24-hour journey to the Olympic Stadium, which will include 116 teams of five torchbearers.
The Torchbearers have been selected through public nomination campaigns run by BT, Lloyds, TSB and Sainsbury as well as the Paralympic Association and have been chosen for the way they represent the Paralympic Values.