PUPILS at Burntwood Academy are ensuring the London 2012 legacy lives on after rubbing shoulders with an Olympic and Paralympic champion.

Despite the dust having settled more than a year ago on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the memories of that unforgettable summer remain fresh at Burntwood.

A handful of pupils attended a Get Set to Make a Change workshop at Three Mills Studios, a stone’s throw from the Olympic Park, where they were given expert advice from London 2012 gold medallist Etienne Stott and former Paralympic champion Natalie Jones.

They were also offered support and ideas to plan a community project as the scheme bids to encourage people to come together, using the Olympic and Paralympic Games as their inspiration.

Rebecca Morgan-Phillips, pictured, was one of those Burntwood pupils and, after meeting Stott and Jones, is bursting with ideas for their plan to host sports taster sessions for the community in Tooting.

“We want to look at all age groups and introduce them to different sports to help them stay fit and healthy," said the 15-year-old.

“Our school has a big sports hall, swimming pool and fitness gym. We are very lucky to have it all and we want other people to use it, too, so - to do that  - we will put on sport taster sessions.

The Get Set to Make a Change programme will inspire almost 5,000 teenagers, through 23 roadshows in 12 cities, to deliver pledges of support to their communities.

Through GSTMC, the British Olympic Foundation, in conjunction with the British Paralympic Association is using the spirit of the London Games to re-inspire young people across the UK. The project is being supported by a £2.5m grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s Keeping the Spirit of 2012 Alive campaign. http://www.makeachange.org.uk/