WIREDGOV

This Saturday, May 19, sees the start of the Olympic torch's journey around the UK, and here at UK online centres we're planning lots of fun activities to help you encourage as many people as possible to get online for the first time to enjoy the games.

Computers and the internet have changed the way that millions of people will enjoy the Olympics. From watching the 100m final online and keeping tabs on which members of Team GB are taking home medals on the BBC website, to sending messages of support to your favourite competitors on Twitter and Facebook, there are countless ways that you and your learners can get involved.

This year's games will be the most interactive ever. Did you know that at the time of the Beijing games there were around 6 million Twitter accounts and 100 million Facebook users? Compare them to the 140 million tweeters and the almost 1 billion active Facebook users today, it's clear that social media will have a big role to play in this year's Olympics.

We think the Olympic games are the perfect opportunity to encourage someone to get online for the first time, so we'll have fun games and themed activities you can try with your learners and even an exciting event centres can take part in too! Keep an eye out for our great toolkit as we get closer to the games.

In the meantime, if you want to see how close the Olympic torch is coming to your centre, check out this fantastic map. And why not have a look at the Olympic Athlete's Hub, an online community bringing together the social media sites of hundreds of participating athletes from all over the world?