I'm not sure they're allowed to say "mini olympics" like that:
A new sea sports facility is nearing completion on Folkestone Seafront, which will offer a range of sea and water activities over the summer.
From the middle of July, a temporary structure - on the Seafront opposite the Leas Lift - will provide a base for a water sports centre designed to attract participants and spectators, and to test the water for a potential permanent facility in the future.
The temporary water sports centre is being run by the Folkestone Sea Sports Group (FSSG), established following responses to public consultations on the proposed development of Folkestone seafront. Shepway District Council, The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust and the Folkestone Harbour Company have all worked to get the test site established.
During the remainder of this summer, sports organisers from Folkestone, Dover and Sandgate will be arranging activities, with a view to establishing a full summer season in 2013.
The first event is on 10 July, which marks the arrival of the Boat Project Collective Spirit, a 30ft sailing yacht hand-crafted from 1,200 pieces of donated wood, including fragments from the Mary Rose and Jimi Hendrixs guitar. The project is part of a national art project to mark the Olympics. The local community has been working together to dress the Harbour with bunting, flags and other decorations, which will remain throughout the summer. Craft flag and bunting making workshops have been taking place in the Creative Quarter throughout June.
Alongside the visit of Collective Spirit, Folkestone Sea Sports operators will be running a number of learn to sail sessions and kayaking lessons, with other courses to follow throughout the summer.
Other free events this summer will include Folkestones own mini-Olympics on the Seafront: on 13th July, 400 children from local primary schools will be visiting the Seafront working with students from Folkestone School for Girls to take part in a series of fun Olympic events.
Then, in August and September, a series of Skate and BMX events will take place, in collaboration with the Shed Youth Centre and Shepway District Council.
Powerboating will return over the weekend of 1 and 2 September.
More Information on these activities can be found at folkestoneseasports.com which will be launched soon.
Notes
During this first mini season, those who wish to be involved in activities or use the facilities will need to register their interest in advance, by contacting FSSG at bookings@folkestoneseaports.com. The group is keen to learn from the trial, and to know how users feel about the facilities on offer, such as the hard standing and winch.
For further information please contact: enquiries@folkestoneseafront.com
This is my website The 'Gerald that I built in a fury of excitement when I first came to Folkestone sometime in '04. I'd been a frequent visitor for a few years previous to that but I am technically one of those Down From Londons you get now. The site used to be updated more frequently with a gig calendar and voting for favourite venues and things, and I know it was a handy reference for those who were thinking of moving to the area. Now I've moved out of Folkestone again (though just a couple of miles) it doesn't get as much attention as it used to. Ironic really as Folkestone itself is becoming the exciting place we knew it was just about to. I am not Gerald BTW, this comes from the name of a pretend newspaper in an episode of The Day Today or something, the Portsmouth Gerald, and how there is a local newspaper here called the Folkestone Herald. Puns like this are GRATE aren't they? Do contact me if you have anything to offer, email anythign @ this domain, or try @folkestone or @pauly on Twitter.