News Release - Wednesday 29 June 2005
MAJOR SHETLAND SHOWCASE TO COMPLEMENT
NATWEST ISLAND GAMES
Shetland Development Trust, a local business development agency, has organised a celebration of Shetland to complement the forthcoming NatWest Island Games. The appropriately named 'Flavour of Shetland' event will take place from 11 to 15 July in Lerwick, Shetland's capital, where around 2,500 participating athletes, team managers and officials will join spectators, local people and tourists to enjoy a real taste of the islands.
Victoria Pier in central Lerwick will be a hive of activity during the five-day event with a wide selection of food and drink available, accompanied by craft and culture displays, and informal live traditional and contemporary music performances. The pier is no stranger to high profile events and has already been the centre of attention for the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Races in 1999.
Commenting on the occasion, general manager of the Shetland Development Trust, Neil Grant, said: 'We are very keen to recapture the spirit of the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Races for local people while ensuring that visitors to Shetland including around 1,000 passengers from four cruise liners enjoy their time spent holidaying in the islands.
'It will also provide an excellent opportunity for local businesses to promote their products to a captive audience, providing many of our island entrepreneurs with a gateway to the international marketplace.
'The Flavour of Shetland event will complement the sporting activity of the Games and we hope it will provide a memorable taster of the islands. There will undoubtedly be a real buzz around Lerwick during the week as everyone enjoys taking part in the celebrations.'
Media Contact:
Neil Grant, Shetland Development Trust, tel 01595 744969 or email neil@shetlanddev.co.uk Or, Louise Rosie, Shaw Marketing and Design Ltd, tel 01595 692465 or email louise@shawltd.fsnet.co.uk
Notes to editors:
The NatWest Island Games are a biennial international multi-sport event - larger in scale than the Winter Olympics - established in the Isle of Man in
1985 by the International Island Games Association (IGA). 2,500 athletes, team managers and officials, from 24 island communities throughout the world will compete in 15 sports in a unique week long festival of sport - From 9 to 15 July 2005
The attractions at the Flavour of Shetland event include:
Informal traditional and contemporary music 30 minutes of live music every hour from 11.00 a.m 5.30 p.m and live evening sessions from 7.00 p.m 11.00 p.m Shetland food and drink including seafood, lamb, real ale, spirits, ice cream, fudge and other refreshments Unique crafts and Shetland knitwear A glimpse of Shetland's past Children's activities daily from 11.00 a.m 1.00 p.m and 2.00 4.00 p.m, including performances by multi-talented clowns 'The Chipolatas' (12.00 1.00 p.m Tuesday to Thursday and 3.00 4.00 p.m on Thursday) Big screen viewing of the main sporting events on a 20 sq m screen
Sports & Venues:
15 different team and individual sports have been chosen from a list of 18 set down by the IGA: Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Bowls, Cycling, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Sailboarding, Sailing, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis and Volleyball.
Shetland will host more than 390 top class sporting events being staged at more than 18 venues across Shetland's 100 islands; venues that include Britain's most northerly golf course, clay pigeon shooting range and floodlit Astroturf pitch and some of the best indoor sports facilities to be found anywhere in the UK.
Competing Islands & Athletes:
Athletes will travel huge distances to compete in Shetland. The 24 member islands of the IGA are: Aland, Alderney, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Froya, Gibraltar, Gotland, Greenland, Guernsey, Hitra, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Jersey, Orkney, Prince Edward Island, Rhodes, Saaremaa, Sark, Shetland, St. Helena, Western Isles, Ynys Mon.
History of the Games:
The NatWest Island Games were established in 1985 by the International Island Games Association (IGA) to provide an opportunity for athletes from island communities, with a population of less than 125,000, to compete at international level. Shetland, whose team has participated in every one of the ten previous Island Games, is the first Scottish member island to host the games; and with a population of approximately 23,000 it is the smallest island population ever to host this large-scale event.
The 'Inter' Island Games were established in the Isle of Man in 1985 by the International Island Games Association (IGA) to provide an opportunity for athletes from island communities, with a population of less than 125,000, to compete at international level, whilst fostering strong cultural exchanges and lifelong friendships. Initially 700 competitors from 15 islands took part in 7 sports. Guernsey hosted the Games in 1987 and they have subsequently been held in the Faroe Islands, Aland, Isle of Wight, Gibraltar, Jersey, Gotland, Isle of Man and Guernsey.
Funding Partners
Shetland Islands Council, Shetland Charitable Trust, EventScotland and sportscotland
Sponsors and Supporters
NatWest is the official sponsor to the IGA and the NatWest Island Games.
A large number of Shetland businesses are also supporting the games.
http://www.shetland2005.info/
Useful Websites
NatWest Island Games XI, Shetland 2005: http://www.shetland2005.info/ NatWest Island Games and the IGA: http://www.Islandgames.net/ NatWest Island Games XI, Shetland 2005, event results website http//www.shetlandresults2005.com Flavour of Shetland:http://www.shetlanddev.co.uk/
MEDIA CONTACT:
Paddy Cuthbert - Podge Publicity :
17 - 23 Calton Road, Edinburgh EH8 8DL
T: 0131 477 2037 / F: 0131 558 3904 / M: 07968 699 636
E: paddy@podge.co.uk / W: www.podge.co.uk