With only weeks to go now until the Olympics get under way, primary school pupils in Manchester have helped write a unique new book celebrating the achievements of Britain's Black Olympic heroes.
Pupils from fifteen schools in the city have worked with the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust in Manchester to research and write the book that features 24 black British Olympians.
The content of the book has been produced by the pupils themselves and includes biographies of each of the athletes, artwork, poetry and fan letters about the sportsmen and women from minority groups who have represented Great Britain on the Olympic stage.
These include some of the most famous Black British Olympians such as Daley Thompson and Tessa Sanderson, young up-and-coming heroes like Louis Smith, and Paralympians such as Ade Adepitan and Alexandra Rickham, as well as local former Olympians, Darren Campbell and Diane Modahl.
The book shows how Britain's young people are inspired by our nation's Black Olympic heritage, and is intended for use by primary school teachers as a teaching resource to share with their classes in the run up to this summer's Olympics.
The pupils involved in writing and researching the book were invited to the Town Hall to celebrate its launch with the Lord Mayor of Manchester Elaine Boyes, and also to meet up with one of their Olympic heroes who features in the book, Diane Modhal.
Pupils handed over a copy of the book to Diane Modhal who was impressed by all the hard work that had gone into it and told how she first got into running at the age of 11 after being spotted by a local coach during a school PE lesson and then training twice a week for the next seven years with her running club Sale Harriers.
She told pupils: "Don't let anyone tell you that you can't achieve your dreams. Whether you want to be an athlete, a doctor, or anything else, hard work, confidence, commitment, dedication and never giving up - whatever you want to do in life, this is what it takes to make your dreams come true."
The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Elaine Boyes, handed out certificates to all the pupils who had contributed to the book. She said: "It's clear that a lot of hard work and research by the young people has gone into producing the book.
"With the Olympics now just around the corner, this book of champions shows our young people that these things are within their reach. Hopefully it will inspire its young readers to believe that they too are capable of great things, and may even help spur on the next generation of Olympic hopefuls."
The book is published by the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust and is available to purchase from the Trust on tel: 0161 275 2920 or by emailing rrarchive@manchester.ac.uk