Paul has backed a new initiative founded by students at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) inspired by the seven motivational values underpinning the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The intiative is an innovative, multi-sensory project, which aims to communicate the values of the Games through the creative, visual and performing arts, particularly music. The project uses balloons in the colours of the rainbow to symbolise the seven Olympic and Paralympic values. This helps to reinforce and communicate the values to participants and a wider audience. The project recently won a gold medal beating 230 other projects in the UK, at the Podium national awards ceremony in London and was the first student led project in the country to be awarded the Inspire Mark by London 2012.

Paul told us, "The student volunteers behind The Balloons Project at LIPA have created something fresh, innovative and exciting. They are successfully engaging young people in Liverpool and the wider community with positive values, including those underpinning the Olympic and Paralympic Games, through the power of music and the arts. I'd like to congratulate all those involved."

Read more about the project at their website HERE!