Path to Paris: Inspiring Youth through Olympic and Paralympic Values

By GM Moving | 19 July 2024 | TAGS: Children and young people

What is Path to Paris?

This year GM Moving are official partners of the Get Set Programme the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association official national youth engagement programme. The programme targets children aged 5-11 and their families, aiming to:

• Inspire young people to fulfil their potential and maintain healthy, active lifestyles.
• Promote the Olympic Values of friendship, excellence, and respect, along with the Paralympic Values of inspiration, determination, courage, and equality.
• Build excitement about Team GB and ParalympicsGB, using the Olympic and Paralympic Games as a platform for learning and participation.

Support and engagement in Greater Manchester

Anyone can sign up to the GetSet platform and start their journey to Paris, all you need is  to create your team (school class, sports team, community group, family)  and  get going.  As our role of official partners GM Moving alongside our partners Your Trust and SCLL  we have also developed and have been delivering  bespoke community engagement programs in Salford and Rochdale.

Initiatives in Salford

Salford has been bringing the Olympic spirit to its school games network to reach children and young people, engaging schools in the program by:

• Hosting special school games events to introduce children to non-traditional Olympic and Paralympic sports, such as boccia, wrestling, and skateboarding.
• Recently, rugby player Abi Burton attended a Path to Paris event at Greystones, providing inspiration to participants .

Initiatives in Rochdale

Rochdale has been inspiring children in the community through Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) network, offering opportunities to try Olympic and Paralympic sports. Key initiatives include:

• Hosting mass participation festivals linked to Olympic and Paralympic events across each of the four townships within the borough, with the first event held at Hollingworth Lake in May.
• Partnering with Paddle UK to train community paddle instructors at Deeplish Community Centre, with the long-term goal of establishing a community-led paddle club.

Getting Involved

While the programs in Rochdale and Salford are more targeted, anyone can join the national programme. Schools, families, and clubs can form teams and sign up to participate in the Path to Paris. For more information and to get involved, visit GetSet's Path to Paris.