The 70,000 Games Maker volunteers, so widely praised for helping to make the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games a huge success, are set to be honoured with a special limited edition stamp, the Royal Mail have announced.

The stamp will feature an image of a group of volunteers, in their distinctive purple and red uniforms, with the London 2012 Olympic Stadium in the background.

The stamp will be one of a final set of four stamps that that the Royal Mail will issue to mark the Games in a set called "Memories of London 2012".

The set is due to be released on September 27 while other memories featured on the stamps include the spectacular fireworks display during the Paralympic Opening Ceremony and a First Class stamp shows the ParalympicsGB team entering the stadium to conclude the procession of the participating athletes.

The final stamp shows a scene from the Olympic Closing Ceremony in which athletes and officials of all the countries formed a human version of the Union Flag in the Olympic Stadium.

"Royal Mail has been delighted to mark the build-up to the Games and the successes of the Team GB and ParalympicsGB gold-medal winning athletes with a series of stamp issues," said Andrew Hammond, the managing director of stamps and collectibles for Royal Mail.

"We want these new stamps to remind people of the truly iconic moments of the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

"It is fitting that we mark some of the stand-out memories that helped make London 2012 one of the most successful ever."

The new stamps will be printed within a miniature sheet with a border that features a special quote from London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe that reflects on the huge success of both the Olympics and the Paralympics.

"The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games produced some truly remarkable performances in a magnificent display of sporting endeavour and achievement," said Coe.

The final London 2012 stamps come after Royal Mail produce stamps to celebrate each individual or team gold medal won by Britain during the Olympics and the Paralympics.

The postal service had originally said they would not produce individual stamps to honour the ParalympicsGB champions from London 2012 but a public campaigned spearheaded by former Olympics Minister Dame Tessa Jowell urged Royal Mail to perform a U-turn.

By Tom Degun

Source: www.insidethegames.biz