Olympic and Paralympic Games update

To unite the country in celebrating the arrival of this year’s Olympics and Paralympics, the Olympic Flame is embarking on a 70-day journey across the UK.

Starting at Land’s End in May, it will be carried by in a relay by 8,000 specially selected torchbearers, who each will take it to within 10 miles of the majority of the population. Find out when the Flame will be in your area.

Girlguiding UK has produced some resources to help you start planning your celebration and bring guiding and your community closer together. An all-section activity resource called On Your Marks... (£4.50, code 6050), plus four badges (60p–£1, codes 7043–46), is available to buy online and from volunteer shops.

Look out as well for the free toolkit On Your Marks... Celebrate, which will help your unit celebrate the Games, plan events and link in with what's going on your area! Download it from the members' area now.

London 2012 has some great ideas too - sign up to become a “Local Leader” and you’ll have access to toolkits and posters to make your celebration stand out. Read out more here.

Members aged 14 and over can become an On Your Marks... Front Runner. If you take up this challenge you’ll receive regular updates about Girlguiding UK’s plans for 2012 in your area, which you then share in your local guiding area and the surrounding community to get them excited about the Games. To sign up, email programme@girlguiding.org.uk with "Front Runners" in the subject heading.