by Emma Grove

As the hype around the London 2012 Olympics continues to grow – Islanders have made sure they haven’t missed out.

Sheppey has been well represented so far at the Games with a number of people watching events, a fireman volunteering and even a company supplying artificial grass to the organising committee.

The Neal family, from Minster, were the first of our readers to get in touch when they sent us a picture of themselves, holding up the STG, just outside the Olympic Park.

Kim Neal, her husband Robbie and their children Craig, 26, and Chloe, 22, visited on Sunday to watch USA vs France and China vs Spain in the basketball.

Mrs Neal said: "Chloe applied for about seven or eight events and we just got the one lot of four tickets.

"There was an amazing atmosphere in both the basketball arena and walking around the Olympic Park and it was a fantastic experience for us all to be a part of."

Crew manager at Sheppey fire station, Jim Ashby, has also been getting into the spirit of the Olympics by volunteering at the Games.

This week he has been at the Lee Valley Olympic White Water Centre for the canoe slalom competition and next week he is part of the field of play recovery team for the mountain biking at Hadley Park in Essex.

He said: "I was really looking forward to it but it’s even more impressive than I thought.

"Standing in front of 11,000 people cheering is pretty amazing. It’s a great venue."

Meanwhile, Sheerness-based KC Carpet Warehouse has supplied artificial grass to some of the Olympic sites.

They were contacted via their website expressgrass.com for last minute grass to cover some areas which had been ruined by rain and construction traffic.

Managing director Brian Harding said: "The Olympics is the biggest event on the planet at the moment.

"I’m honoured and delighted our artificial grass is being used and shown on the BBC and across the world.

"To be able to step in at such short notice and represent Sheppey at the London Olympics sites makes us extremely proud."

Sheerness Holiday Park in Halfway Road has purchased one of the 8,000 Olympic Torches.

They will be holding a fun day on site on Wednesday where people can come and hold the torch and have their picture taken with it. It is set to arrive at 4pm.