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Double Olympic 1500m gold medallist Lord Coe visited Horsham's Tanbridge House School this week to meet young people and join in with local preparations in the lead-up to the 2012 Games.

Lord Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), was in West Sussex to mark the achievements of the area's schools as part of the Get Set network, the London 2012 education programme for schools and colleges in the UK.

In between the formal presentations, students crowded around Lord Coe, asking for autographs and taking photos of the former Olympic champion.

"It was a privilege to visit West Sussex today to celebrate the success of its 2012 initiatives so far and to see the work in action," said Lord Coe.

"We want as many young people as possible to be involved with London 2012 and getting into sport. Having all these projects in place shows that the South East is really maximising the opportunities which are arising from the Games."

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Active Sussex is pleased to announce a special offer for Sussex schools to attend the opening Saturday of the AEGON International tennis tournament in Eastbourne.

The schools' promotion is for Ground Passes for 11 June, which give access to centre court seats on a first come basis. The offer allows school children to attend free, up to a maximum of 20, with teachers paying £5.00 per teacher. All childern must attend in an official school group.

There will be a special area on the day for young hopefuls to have a go at tennis, as well as the chance to witness some of the leading stars on the tennis circuit playing on Eastbourne's grass courts.

To apply, schools should email Gavin.Fletcher@LTA.org.uk with the following information: School/organisation name, with breakdown and number of pupils, plus debit/credit card details for payment. Please quote the following code: Kids Day.

The offer is also open to accredited clubs with junior sections (under 16s), who can apply using the same procedure as above.

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London 2012 has announced the lucky locations to be illuminated by the Olympic Torch on its journey to next year's opening ceremony. Sussex will cheer on the flame as it passes through Brighton and Hove on Monday 16 July 2012 and Hastings on Tuesday 17 July 2012.

Nominations for extraordinary people within communities to carry the Torch have also opened. Who should be nominated in Sussex?

Sadie Mason, Active Sussex CEO said: "This is an iconic emblem of the Olympics being brought to the heart of our communities.  As 'everyday' extraordinary people can carry the flame, it will provide great inspiration, shining a light on the incredible work that takes place in sport in Sussex.  We are delighted to welcome it on its momentous journey and look forward to seeing who holds this beacon of achievement, endeavour and determination."

To nominate your Sussex torch bearer and for more information visit: http://www.london2012.com/torch

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Sussex table tennis talent Tyler Paul helped Britain top the medal table at the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sport Federation (IWAS) World Junior Games 2011 in Dubai, securing a bronze medal.

Paul, 18, who studies at the Lavinia Norfolk Centre, Angmering School, won bronze in the class 4 table tennis.

"The standard of play was extremely high and Tyler is very proud of his achievement," said Steve Richards, head of Sports at the Lavinia Norfolk Centre.

"He now feels he has a greater understanding of the level of play and commitment necessary to achieve at this level and feels the experience will stand him in good stead for the future."

Richards, who has coached and encouraged Paul since he joined the specialist unit at Angmering, added he was extremely pleased with Tyler's efforts, saying Tyler would "definitely learn from the experience".

Overall, the British team claimed 23 gold, 15 silver and 10 bronze medals across the three sports contested - athletics, table tennis and weightlifting.

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Every year Inspire Leisure provides 20 athletes who compete at a county level and above with free membership, allowing them access to its state of the art gyms and swimming pools for 12 months.

The talented athlete programme (TAP) exists to give these athletes, aged between 14 and 21 years old, the support they need to become a whole athlete and ultimately grow within their chosen sport.

Athletes on the programme will make use of their membership for different reasons. Recent examples include a high jumper who made use of the swimming pool for rehabilitation after an injury, a Sussex rugby player who uses the fitness suite to improve strength and an Olympic wrestler who has exploited the facilities to control her weight while remaining exceptionally strong in order to compete at the correct weight category.

Inspire Leisure will work closely with the athlete's coach to ensure that the training that they do within its facilities compliments the overall training programme for their sport. This year Inspire will be supporting an array of athletes from different sports including rugby, badminton, athletics, football, swimming, archery, water polo, basketball, wrestling and cricket. Many of these are competing at international level.

It is incredibly hard for an athlete competing at the highest level to finance themselves. As a leisure trust, Inspire Leisure realises the importance of supporting people within sport at every level. It is proud that its scheme helps to support athletes that little bit more, perhaps even future Olympic heroes, on their path to success.

Penny Caswell, Olympic Wrestler and TAP athlete said this about the scheme: "My cardio performance is much better, I'm much fitter and I can compete for longer periods of time. When I joined the scheme I set myself a goal of losing weight so that I could compete in the right category. Since then I have lost two stone and have become much stronger."

The scheme is open for applications from January to March of each year and the TAP membership runs for a year starting 1 April. Applications must live within the Arun District to be eligible to apply and a letter of support from their coach is required.

For further information on the TAP scheme please contact Lee Tillyer on 01903 890301 or email lee.tillyer@inspireleisure.co.uk

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There are lots of exciting events taking place at this year's Paddle Round the Pier Beach Festival. Be part of it and help raise money! Whether you can spare just a few hours, on Friday 1 July, Saturday 2 July and/or Sunday 3 July, they want to hear from you. A dedicated crew of volunteers are needed to help over the weekend, so do your bit and get involved!

The roles entail helping out with registering competitors for races, assisting the public with information about the events, organising the board store, cheering the paddlers off, collecting money and helping out wherever you're needed!

If you would like to help out please contact Virginia Barnacle, Volunteers Coordinator for Paddle Round the Pier on 07967 117843 or email: volunteers@paddleroundthepier.com

For more information please visit www.paddleroundthepier.com

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Sussex junior squash number one Curtis Malik played a big part in steering England to victory in the U13 Junior Five Nations championship, which took place at Surrey Sports Park in April.

The gifted young junior, who is only 11 years old, won all his matches over the three-day competition.

"He's quite level-headed about it when he plays in big situations - he takes it really well," said dad Camron, who is also Curtis's coach.

"He's a shot player which is probably why he does well against the older players."

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By Matt Lewis

The sun was shining, the atmosphere was electric and the population of the city was transfixed. There was one word on everybody's lips in Brighton: marathon. Over 80,000 spectators, 175,000 bottles of water – and, of course, 26.2 miles of open road – lay ahead for the 8,000 competitors lined up in Preston Park for the second annual Brighton Marathon.

Pre-race rituals were rife amongst the massed army awaiting the 9am start. Some chose to stretch, others snacked to take on last-minute energy, while many opted to simply bask in the morning sun. With 15 minutes to go, the horn sounded and the runners were herded to their starting positions, matching the colour of their racing number to the coloured flags signalling their estimated running times.

Steve Cram, the golden boy of British athletics in the 1980s, sounded the starting siren and they were off. The marathon route had been designed to show off all that Brighton had to offer, taking the runners through the crowded city centre streets, out onto the cliffs of Sussex, through the suburbs of Hove and even on a loop around a power station for good measure.

The marathon organisers had really thought about the welfare of the competitors this year, with the route containing 15 water stops and six "fuel" stops. Entertainment points – with music and enthusiastic cheerers – were placed where organisers thought runners could use that extra push.

"The crowd was really supportive," said Joe Knight, 19, a first-time runner who completed the marathon in five hours. "At about 24 miles I looked up and saw some friendly faces which really spurred me on."

The community spirit that can sometimes be lost at larger sporting events was much in evidence along the whole route, as strangers clapped, cheered and chanted the thousands of competitors on towards the finish line.

Coupled with the police reporting zero incidents on the day – and the possibility of live TV broadcast of the event in Olympic year – it is easy to see why Brighton's race is fast becoming regarded as the number two marathon in the UK.

Visit brightonmarathon.co.uk for details about 2012 Brighton Marathon and ballot entry

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Sport England, the government agency for community sport, has linked up with Ipsos MORI to conduct a grassroots survey of the sports system in England.

Sport England's Satisfaction with the Quality of the Sport Experience survey aims to establish the quality of your experience when taking part in sport.

Last year 44,000 people told Sport England about their sporting activities and the agency is now repeating the exercise to ensure it keeps up to date with your views.

The survey will help drive and shape community sport in England in the years to come, with particular emphasis on delivering a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

To become part of this unique project and help shape the future of sport in England, as well as ensure the sporting voices of Sussex are heard in a national forum, please click on the link below.

www.ipsos-mori.com/sqse

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New to our jobs page: Vacancy for Physical Activity Co-ordinator at Albion in the Community. £25,000 pro rata
12 Months fix term contract, 21 hours per week. Closes 6 May. For more details, visit our Job Vacancies page

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