Fanning the flame of success

THE FEVER surrounding the Olympic Torch’s passing through York touched people from all walks of life.

Staff and their bosses from scores of businesses were among the million people who turned out to see the Olympic Torch Relay as it made its way through Yorkshire.

The figure was the highest turnout in a county so far as the relay spent six-and-a-half days travelling around Yorkshire last month, tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire said.

The Torch took in the beautiful market towns of Richmond and Northallerton, iconic landmarks including York Minster and Aysgarth Falls, visitor attractions including Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Magna Science Adventure Centre and the cities of York, Hull, Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield.

On June 18, 62,500 people turned out to see the torch as it travelled from Hinderwell, near Runswick Bay, along the North Yorkshire coast through Lythe, Sandsend, Whitby, Pickering, Scarborough, Filey, Bridlington and Beverley.

On June 19, 11,500 people from around Selby attended the relay, and in York about 83,500 people are believed to have seen the torch, with 55,000 lining the streets during the day, 23,400 in the evening on Knavesmire and another 5,000 watching it the following morning as it left the city.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York, estimated it had generated up to £1 million of additional spend in the city over the two days. She said: “The Olympic Torch generated a fantastic atmosphere of celebration and boosted footfall into the city centre. There were more visitors eating and drinking in restaurants and bars and with 25,000 people at the racecourse and 55,000 lining the route in York, this gave the city an important economic boost.”

Local businesses saw an upsurge in trade as a direct result of the torch with many cafés, restaurants and local attractions reporting being packed as the torch visited the area, and York reported footfall was up 25 per cent on the average for a Tuesday.

Ian Ashton, chairman of the Herriot Country Attractions Group, said: “It was incredible to have the Torch pass right in front of the World of James Herriot and as a result we had a real wave of visitors for the rest of the day. Events like this have a real positive impact on local tourism and the economy.”

Marion Buchanan, owner of the White Swan Inn in Pickering, said: “The spirit of the day was infectious and here at the White Swan we took full part in the celebrations. The streets were lined with people and we were even busier than usual in the lead-up and on the special day. Having the famous flame in our town was great for business from both tourists and locals.”

Businesses and young entrepreneurs in York celebrated the arrival with an event focused on inspiring ambition in the spirit of the Olympics.

The event, called Ready, Steady, Grow, organised by the Training Gateway at the University of York, attracted 200 businesses to York Racecourse to hear from inspirational speaker Sarah Dunwell of the CREATE Foundation, who explained how she left a successful commercial catering company to set up a restaurant to provide training for homeless people, which now competes with big restaurants in Leeds.

Amanda Selvaratnam of the Training Gateway, said: “It was brilliant. Without a doubt, the fact that the torch relay was happening on the same day added that extra level of excitement. You could feel the level of excitement as people were speaking.”

The event incorporated the finals of the National University Entrepreneur competition 2012, in which ten graduate entrepreneurs pitched their ideas to a business panel in the hope of winning prizes including business support and mentoring from high profile entrepreneurs.

Four winners from the York event were all sports-related: MÖbius, a business working on the science behind sailing from Plymouth University; Rapid Sports from Sheffield Hallam University, which designs high quality composite canoeing equipment; Star Sports Development Ltd, a squash and racketball equipment business, from the University of Sheffield; and 1Point6 from Loughborough University, which has produced a three-in-one recovery and performance sleeve to calm sports injuries.

They will go on to pitch again at the Global Business Summit at the British Business Embassy at Lancaster House during the Olympics.

Two local finalists, Matt Freckelton a graduate from the University of York who has set up a photo sharing app Livesnaps Ltd, and Heather Alstead, a former design student from York St John University, who creates beautiful and imaginative designs for the home, will also showcase their businesses at the Global Business Summit.

Hotel’s very special guest

The Park Inn by Radisson York played host to the Olympic flame for the night when it passed through York on June 19.

As well as taking charge of the famous flame, the hotel also accommodated the 230 torch relay organisers and sponsors who were accompanying it.

A full risk assessment had to be carried out prior to the arrival of the flame, which was then kept in a lantern overnight.

Sally Hughes, new general manager who started the job at the hotel only days before the flame arrived, said it certainly helped ensure a memorable start to her career in York. “There’s a very select group of hotel managers who can boast they have held the torch and played host to the Olympic flame for a night – and I’m thrilled to be one of them.

“All of our staff were delighted to have played their part in this special and historic visit, and we all have some wonderful memories of the event,” she said.

Golden Graham

A YORK businessman is preparing to run with the Olympic Torch later this month in recognition of his contributions to charity.

Graham Kennedy, owner of Inner Space Stations, which owns the BP garage in Hull Road, has been chosen for the work he has done to raise money for ATAXIA UK.

Graham’s two children suffer from Friedreich’s Ataxia, which drove Graham to organise an annual 70-mile cycle challenge, the Big Bad Bike Ride, on remote roads of the UK and abroad. He has raised more than £700,000 over the past 20 years for the charity and was also awarded an MBE for his services to the charity.

It is Graham’s mission to raise £1 million in his life time for the charity and his belief that one day a cure for Ataxia will be found.

Graham will run with the torch in the London Borough of Harrow on July 25, after he was nominated by BP to be one of its torchbearers.

Graham said: “I was really pleased. Having seen it go through York, I thought it was fantastic and really exciting.”

He also went to London with BP’s other torchbearers for an exclusive event with senior BP management to meet double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes.

“Kelly was really motivational,” said Graham. “She said that people had written her off for her injuries but she got it back and showed if you want to do things you can make them happen. She seems a really fantastic person and runs her own charity for young people.”

BP has also jazzed up a select number of its own petrol stations with striking Olympic signage, and because Graham is bearing the torch, the Hull Road petrol station is the only independently-owned petrol station to be given the Olympic treatment.