Hemel Hempstead MP Mike Penning is urging local people to back a local project to give a warm welcome to the world’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes when they descend on London this year.

The Quilts4London project plans to give each Olympic and Paralympic athlete a hand-made pennant to take home with them. They have already received – or have been promised - 11,000 pennants, but they need another 3,000 to meet the target of 14,700.

The project was founded by local resident Irene Heathcote and is led jointly by Irene and Catherine Hill and has captured the imagination of people from all round the country. It has been officially recognised as part of the Cultural Olympiad.

Mike Penning MP said:
“This is an extraordinary project that started from an idea by some local quilters. I urge anyone who can to help them meet their target. There is still time to take part. The closing date is 15th February.”

The pennants will be exhibited around the country in the lead up to the games.

For more information visit www.quilts4london.org.uk [1] or http://quilts4london.typepad.com/blog/ [2]

Mike Penning MP recently sponsored an exhibition by the Quilts4London project in the Upper Waiting Hall of the House of Commons.

It has also just been announced that the Quilts4London website has been chosen by the British Library to be archived as one of the key websites to form the basis of their Olympic & Paralympic Games 2012 Collection.

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