THIS year is destined to become one of the greats in the history of British sport.

London will host the 2012 Olympic Games, inviting the nations of the world to take part in the most spectacular sporting event on earth.

The England football team will take on Sweden, France and the Ukraine in the group stages of Euro 2012, while Andy Murray could do the nation proud with a maiden Grand Slam victory.

Grand sporting occasions such as these also ignite enthusiasm for people to take part in local sporting opportunities.

Many of the opportunities in West Devon are provided or assisted by OCRA, the Okehampton Community Recreation Association.

OCRA deliver a wide range of sports, art, dance, and activity sessions throughout the year for children, youths and adults.

This year OCRA celebrates its 20th anniversary, having become a registered charity in June 1992.

The organisation was founded by Peter Hammond, David Symes and Jerry Stephens, who had a clear vision of working with clubs and groups to help develop recreational opportunities for the area.

Through initial funding from Sport England, OCRA was able to employ a manager and build on this original philosophy.

Stuart Lord, manager of OCRA, explained the philosophy behind the organisation: 'OCRA is about people having fun, making friendships, trying new things and developing skills.

'We have fantastic staff, trustees and volunteers who really care about individuals, their communities and access to all different types of activities and services.

'We are a community charity, whose aim and ability to deliver recreation for all receives lots of goodwill from individuals clubs, groups, partners, schools, local business agencies, councils, and funders, notably Okehampton United Charity.'

Over time, the list of sports and activities has grown and diversified, with the organisation blossoming through the growth of events like the annual Okehampton Sports Festival.

OCRA has been pivotal in the development of new sports facilities in the area throughout its history.

The all-weather pitches at Okehampton College, play equipment in Simmons Park, and Okehampton Skate and Bike Park are just some of the projects the charity has been involved in, and in total OCRA has delivered over £5 million worth of sport facilities for the area.

In 2011, more than 3,000 people benefitted from the delivery of over 1,800 sessions of OCRA activities and events. Through its support of local clubs and development of facilities, it has a further impact on hundreds more.

More than 70 local clubs and groups benefit from the support and promotion given by OCRA.

Richard Jones from Okehampton Hockey Club said: 'It is always a positive experience working with OCRA. They have helped us with promotion, events and festivals, fundraising, training, accreditation and facility development.

'They have helped us develop Okehampton Men's, Women's and Youth Hockey. Their role is crucial.'

Their focus is not just on sports clubs, but also minority groups in the community who may otherwise be isolated from sporting opportunities.

The Puzzle Tree, an Okehampton charity that supports people with learning difficulties, has been supported by OCRA.

Tracey Seymour from the Puzzle Tree said: 'OCRA have been really supportive in creating activity opportunities in the community for people with learning disabilities.'

The organisation will have its busiest year ever in its anniversary year, aiming to capitalise on the enthusiasm for sport generated by the London 2012 Olympic Games.

One of the major events being organised by OCRA this year is the Devon Games to Inspire 2012. The games are a free event for young people from across the county, attracting more than 1,200 youngsters from nine council areas to take part in 15 different sports.

The event has been running for over ten years and was formerly the Devon Youth Games before it became a 2012 Olympic Games Legacy event. OCRA are also co-ordinating the trials for the competition's West Devon Team.

Once again the Okehampton Sports and Fitness Festival will take place in the summer, with a programme of more than 40 sports to choose from. There are also plans to implement an Olympic week at local primary schools, promoting a series of sports throughout a week specifically to generate enthusiasm for the Olympics and sport in children.

Stuart Lord mentioned other local events OCRA is getting involved with in 2012: 'We are adding activity into a number of other local events like the Sport Relief Mile, Battle of the Bands, the Okehampton Show, and the Queen's Jubilee celebrations to name a few.

'It is great that Okehampton and Hatherleigh are part of the Olympic Torch relay, and we are excited about this once in a lifetime event, and getting community groups and schools involved.'

To find out more about OCRA's schedule of events for the year and activities you can get involved in, visit http://www.ocrasport.org.uk">www.ocrasport.org.uk, the OCRA pages on Facebook and Twitter, or call 01837 54546.