The Flame of Friendship

The Coventry Schools Torch Relay Race

In the run up to the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic games, 62 Coventry primary, secondary and special educational needs schools will be participating in a torch relay, the Flame of Friendship, leaving Coventry Cathedral on Thursday 22nd February and finishing on the University of Warwick campus on Monday 8th July. At the Finale on Monday 8th, 1000+ Coventry pupils and teachers will line the road on the University of Warwick campus and join a procession as the torch passes by, making its way along the final relay leg to Butterworth Hall at the Warwick Arts Centre, pausing in the Piazza where members of the Royal Opera House will lead the participants in an Olympic themed dance.

The torch is bespoke to this event, designed especially for this event, designed as part of a competition in which more than 2000 Coventry pupils took part. The winning design was submitted by a pupil from Finham Park School and has subsequently been redeveloped at WMG, on the University of Warwick campus, by members of their technical team and four T Level students from Rugby College (part of WCG).

This is a Coventry schools activity led by Earlsdon Primary School and supported by the Warwick Institute of Engagement on behalf of the University of Warwick. The event celebrates friendship, team work, sports and international collegiality and has multiple opportunities for people from schools, the community and the university to get involved.

In the sections below you will find more information about the schedule, route and how to get involved.

Important Dates to Note

Thursday 22nd February (pm) Launch of the torch relay

Monday 4^thMarch (pm) Final day for Coventry schools to register to attend the Finale and request copied of the commemorative activity book

Wednesday 13^thMarch (am) Confirmation of Finale reservation and activity book order for Coventry schools

Monday 3^rdJune (pm) Last day for non-Coventry schools to request live streaming link and box of activity books

Wednesday 5^thJune (am) Finale details shared on Resonate website for members of the public wishing to cheer them along

Monday 8^thJuly (am) Flame of Friendship Finale

Torch Relay and Flame Finale Schedule

Date & Time	Location	Activity
Thu 22 February 1 to 2pm	Coventry Cathedral and Southfields Primary School	Launch of the torch relay, leaving Coventry Cathedral at 1.30pm, arriving at Southfields Primary School at 1.45pm
Mon 26 February to Tue 02 July	Various Schools in Coventry	Torch carried between schools, ideally in the morning, remains in the receiving school overnight
Mon 08 July 10 to 10.30am	University of Warwick, University Road	Parade from NAIC to the Piazza
Mon 08 July 10.30 to 11am	University of Warwick, Piazza	Royal Opera House led Olympic dance
Mon 08 July 11am to 12pm	University of Warwick, Butterworth Hall	Flame of Friendship ceremony

Torch Relay Route Get Involved – University of Warwick Staff and Students

We would love for as many members of the university to get involved in this event, either by simply cheering on the procession or getting more involved by helping with event management or feeding into the commemorative activity book.The list of activities staff (of any level, any discipline and any type) and students (any level, any discipline) can get involved in are listed below. Please read about each one and if you’d like to help, in one or multiple ways, please follow the link and complete the expression of interest form and we’ll get back to you (you will need to be logged onto the university system to access this form, the form will generally be checked on Tuesday and Fridays).

Join a relay leg Many of the schools would love to have guests on their leg of the relay. If you’d like to join one, please let us know. You can let us know if you have a preferred school or a preferred date as well and we’ll let the school know and put you in touch with them if they can accommodate you. If you are a work team, sports team, society team etc. you are very welcome to join as a team, just let us know.

Use my research/teaching as content for a commemorative activity book To commemorate the Flame of Friendship we’re producing a 16 page activity book to be given to every school pupil in Coventry. If your research or teaching can be related (however loosely) to the Olympics (topics such as health, nutrition, teamwork, competition, materials, history, positive mindset etc.) WIE and an illustrator will turn it into a word search, spot the difference, coding, match the items etc. You don’t have to decide what activity, we’ll do all of that for you, we just need a set of words, a photo of a lab/item, interesting facts etc. and we’ll do the rest. If you’re not sure what content to give us we’ll arrange a time to meet and discuss.

Be part of the event delivery team (09:00-12:15) With 1000+ pupils and teachers on campus WIE is in great need of volunteers to help the event run smoothly. Jobs such as schools hosting, marshalling, setup, guest hosting etc. are essential to make the event as amazing as we know it can be and any help we can get from members of the university would be greatly received.

Cheer on the parade (10:00-11:00) The torch and the 1000+ pupils and teachers will make their way along University Road, past FAB and the Oculus, into the Piazza to do a dance performance and then into Butterworth Hall. We’d love as many people as possible to line the road and cheer on the parade, really make a spectacle and a day never to be forgotten by youngsters from our local community!

Use this activity to support other university business If your team or group would like to build on this event to support other university business, please let us know.

Get Involved – Coventry Schools

Coventry schools are invited to attend the Flame Finale on the University of Warwick campus between 09:45 and 12:15 on Monday 8^th July 2024. It is free to attend but places are limited to 18 per school (to include pupils and teachers). You may apply for additional spaces, but these will be allocated on a first come first served basis after the initial allocation has been made.

Please note, the University of Warwick will be capturing photo and video footage of the Finale and we strongly expect local and national media to also attend therefore please ensure that those attending how parental permission to be included in photos and video as we will not be able to identify those that cannot be included.

There may be interest in members of the university, external guests and the media to join your leg of the relay, please let us know if your school would be willing to host someone.

To addition to the event on campus, the University of Warwick is producing a commemorative activity book for the Flame of Friendship, a book of word searches, codes, spot the difference etc. developed from Olympic related research activities that take place at the university. The book is aimed at 8-12 year olds but can be used by any age, with or without help. These books are free and the expectation is that every school pupil in Coventry will have one but schools must make a request for copies.

If you would like to take part in the Flame Finale on Monday 8^th July and/or would like copies of the commemorative activity book please follow this link and complete the form. The deadline for doing so is Monday 4^th March at 5pm. Your finale places and request for activity books will be confirmed by Wednesday 13^th March.

Fill out the Form

Get Involved – non-Coventry Schools

Unfortunately we are not able to reserve spaces at the Flame Finale for school groups outside of Coventry but schools from other areas in the region, UK and across the world are welcome to follow the procession, take part in the Royal Opera House dance and watch the ceremony via a secure video link.

As part of the Flame of Friendship the University of Warwick is producing a commemorative activity book for the Flame of Friendship, a book of word searches, codes, spot the difference etc. developed from Olympic related research activities that take place at the university. The book is aimed at 8-12 year olds but can be used by any age, with or without help. Schools outside of Coventry are welcome to request a box (between 40-60 copies most likely) for use by their pupils. These can be photocopied but digital versions will be available to download from this website by Thursday 4^th July.

If you would like to register for the link to live stream the event on Monday 8^th July and/or register to receive a book of activity books please complete this form. This form will be checked each Tuesday morning and confirmation emails sent at this time. The final day to request the link and activity books is Monday 3^rd June 2024 at 5pm.

Fill out the Form

Get Involved – Members of the Public

If you are a member of the public and would like to watch the parade from the roadside, you are VERY welcome to join us on campus. Dress code is as bright as possible! Please note we will be photographing and videoing the event, and may also be joined by local and/or national media.

We expect the road between Junction and Warwick Arts centre to be closed from 10.00 to 10.30am and slow moving traffic to be enforced before and after while the school pupils are on campus so if you want to join us please arrive early. We will put information relating to getting here, parking, facilities and shops on the Resonate website (resonatefestival.co.uk) on Wednesday 5^th June 2024.

Get Involved – Alumni, Media, Organisations and Others

If you are a member of Warwick alumni and would like to get involved or support this event please get in touch with the alumni team – alumni@warwick.ac.uk

If you are a member of local, national or international media and would like to know more please contact our communications team –

press@warwick.ac.uk

If you represent another organisation, charity, business etc. and would like to know more or get involved please contact the WIE team and we will help or point you in the right direction of the right team to help.

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