Two Edinburgh Leisure staff are currently flying the flag for Great Britain at the Beijing Youth Forum from 3rd - 12th September after being selected for the British Council's Young Advocates programme (YAP).

Samantha Langstaff (24), Gymnastics, Dance and Trampolining Development Officer and Aisha Kerr (18), tennis coach at Craiglockhart Tennis Centre are two of only six Scottish young people to make the trip to the Chinese capital.

There they will spend seven days living on campus with 240 other young advocates - disabled and able bodied - from across the globe, participating in a forum designed to promote cultural and disability awareness discussions and debates.

Running in tandem with the Paralympic Games from 6 - 17 September, the programme aims to create a multi-cultural team who will support the spirit of the Paralympic Movement through advocating the potential benefits that sport can bring to communities and, also, wider social inclusion around the world.

Speaking before she left, Samantha said: "Being selected to represent Great Britain is a huge honour - and a great opportunity to develop ourselves and, ultimately sporting opportunities across Edinburgh.

"With Team GB having had such a successful games, we now have the responsibility to help carry the wonderful legacy of the Beijing Games forward to London 2012 and, of course, to Glasgow 2014."