Paralympic Lantern Goes on Display

 An official Paralympic Lantern has gone on display at the Huddersfield Leisure Centre marking the start of the Paralympic Games in Rio.
Used during the London 2012 games, it was carried as part of the regional lantern relay. During the London Paralympics, the regional torch relay used lanterns to carry the flame. The Paralympic Lantern on show has since been used at events around Kirklees to help promote and get people involved in disabled sport and physical activity.
The lanterns keep the Paralympic flame alight throughout the relay, and can be used to relight the Paralympic torch if it blows out. The main flame is then lit by all the lanterns which have been carried in a relay around the host country.
A ‘Heritage Flame’ is ignited at Stoke Mandeville, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement, and this is also sent to the host city. All are then joined together to light the Paralympic cauldron during the opening ceremony.
Placing the flame in the art gallery is part of an Arts Council funded project called ‘Sustainable Collections’. The project will see objects from the museum’s collections displayed in new and unexpected places around the area, linking current events and people’s lives to the area’s rich heritage.