Southend Children Sing For The Olympics

22 November 2011, 06:00

A school in Southend is celebrating the release of the Official London 2012 Mascot song which features some of their pupils.

Ten schoolchildren from West Leigh Juniors recorded On A Rainbow which also features McFly's Tom Fletcher who wrote the track.

Essex County Councillor Stephen Castle said: "Once again the people of Essex are showing their support and enthusiasm for the 2012 Games. Essex is already a Host County for the Games and with so many communities getting behind celebrations leading up to the Olympics, the children’s involvement in this song will showcase not only the talent of the County but the passion the youth of Essex have in bringing the Games closer to home. Their participation in this song will be a reminder that the Olympic spirit will stay in Essex long after the Games".

The song, written by Tom Fletcher and featuring his sister Carrie, is based on Wenlock and Mandeville’s journey to the London 2012 Games and the young people they meet along the way.

It is available to download now from iTunes.

Derek Jarvis, Southend Council’s Executive Councillor for Culture and Tourism said: "This is such a fantastic song and something that is very inspirational for young people in the UK. I was delighted to hear that West Leigh Junior School had been chosen to participate and proud to know that they have been involved in making Olympic history, not only for their School but Southend and Essex".

The group of children were invited to a recoding session back in February, after producer Jason Perry, whose children go to the West Leigh School, was asked at short notice to find a children’s choir.

Head Teacher of West Leigh Junior School, Cheryl Woolf said: "It was all a bit last-minute, but we were able to organise for the children to go because their parents were so supportive of what they were doing. It’s such a lovely thing for them to have done and I’m so proud they have done it."