To celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Erme Valley Harriers are hosting an athletics community day for everyone to have fun and get involved with the Olympic and Paralympics' premier sport.

Erme Valley Harriers is an official England Athletics affiliated club and is hosting an athletics community day to not only give people the chance to try athletics but attend a fun packed event.

It is doing this as a partner in a nationwide campaign, being promoted by England Athletics, to help give more people the opportunity to get involved in Athletics during the Olympic and Paralympic year of 2012.

The campaign includes offering people the opportunity to help support their local club in a volunteer role or by taking up participation in athletics.

Alex Copeland, national club development officer for England Athletics, said: 'Athletics is a fantastic sport and all the excitement of it is going to reach everyone when the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games come to London this year.

'The atmosphere in the stadium promises to be fantastic.

'An athletics community day gives everyone the chance to get involved in athletics and feel that they are part of the great sporting occasion this summer promises to be.

'Clubs such as Erme Valley Harriers are the home of athletics. The action at the Olympics is going to be a true spectacle but all the people involved at the games as volunteers, officials and athletes will have started out in a club.

'With such a range of activities and opportunities, whether you're inspired to be the next Olympic champion, want to help others to achieve their goals by volunteering and coaching or you want to do some running, an athletics club is the place to start.

'Erme Valley Harriers doesn't just have people involved as athletes but has many volunteers and is always looking for others to get involved.

'There are volunteering opportunities involving athletics such as officials and coaches but also other roles that aren't directly involved in the sport such as committee positions, web editor and press officer that can give you a great amount of satisfaction as well as benefit the club and wider community.'

Erme Valley Harriers are looking forward to a great evening where families can try athletics in a fun, safe way with an Olympic theme event. Just come along on the night and sign up to have a go.

Erme Valley Harriers' athletics community day is taking place on Thursday, August 16, from 5.45pm until 8pm at Ivybridge Community College.

To find out more about England Athletics' work to give more people the opportunity to be involved in athletics as a volunteer please see http://www.englandathletics.org/volunteering">www.englandathletics.org/volunteering.

To find out more about how you can get involved in the sport as a participant see www.

englandathletics.org/

clubs.