London 2012 is inviting people across the UK to join in Handover celebrations, marking the moment the Olympic and Paralympic Games come to the UK.

On 24 August 2008 the Beijing Olympic Games draw to a close; we will put on a short show as part of the Closing Ceremony and the Olympic Flag will be handed over to the Mayor of London.

But the real celebration will be back home in the UK. The BBC will broadcast the ceremony live and it will play on big screens across the UK. After the ceremony, the real party kicks off. We’re putting on a 40,000-person concert on The Mall in London, featuring world-class acts, top sports stars and TV personalities.

Between 3:30-5:30pm – as Handover takes place – special flags will be raised by local authorities all over the UK to mark the moment.

Park ahead of schedule

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has praised the ‘astounding’ pace of progress towards the 2012 Games.

Members of the IOC’s London 2012 Coordination Commission spent three days reviewing the latest preparations as construction began on the Olympic Stadium – three months ahead of schedule.

Commission Chair Denis Oswald said: ‘We have been greatly impressed by the quality and speed with which the London 2012 Organising Committee and its partners have been able to progress since our last visit.

‘The most visible element is obviously venue construction and the progress made on the Olympic Park, in particular, is truly astounding.’

The Commission’s visit coincided with the start of the ‘big build’ construction phase, which will see the Olympic Park venues take shape over the next three years.

Work will get under way on the Aquatics Centre, VeloPark, International Broadcast Centre/Main Press Centre and the Olympic Village in the coming months.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited the Park to mark the start of construction, saying: ‘This is not only a tremendous project, it is being executed brilliantly, we’re ahead of schedule.’

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Business is booming
UK businesses benefiting from Games

650 companies have already won over £2 billion worth of work supplying the Olympic Delivery Authority. Over 70 per cent are small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and 98 per cent are UK based.

SMEs also make up nearly 90 per cent of the 18,000 companies registered on the unique ‘dating agency’ which aims to match businesses with London 2012-related opportunities, through the London 2012 Business Network.

A promotional tour around the UK has seen events explaining how to make the most of opportunities, which will be worth a total £6bn.

Visit London 2012 Official Website

In the summer of 2012, the UK will come alive with the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Our four-year Cultural Olympiad will reach a crescendo with the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on 27 July. It starts a 60-day festival of sport and culture across the UK – the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For the first time, these two events have been planned together from the very beginning. By thinking about the needs of both Olympic and Paralympic athletes and spectators at each point in our plans, we can create the best possible Games experience for everyone.

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