AN OLYMPIC volunteer from Lechlade is hoping to reach the top spot in the Christmas charts after recording a song with the Games Maker Choir.

Jan North volunteered at the Paralympics in August and decided to join a choir, formed by musical volunteers who were keen to keep the Olympic spirit alive.

“We wanted to find a way to express the excitement and the enjoyment the Games Makers felt every day,” she said. “We just did it for fun, but then people started to notice us and it all took off from there.”

The group has recorded a charity single called I Wish for You the World with singer songwriter Alistair Griffin in aid of the British Olympic Foundation and the British Paralympic Association.

The choir, which performed at the Olympic Park during the Games, has about 100 regular members from all over the country, who meet to practice in London and Manchester.

Jan said the choir had started during the Games and continued to grow ever since. “It has been a great way for the volunteers to keep in touch,” she said. “Most of us have now registered to volunteer at the Commonwealth Games.”

She added the final harmonies were recorded this weekend. “We had quite a few recording sessions,” she said. “This is the first time I have ever recorded anything. I was a bit awe-struck by the studio.”

The single was released on December 16 and has already been played on national radio. The group had been signed by record label Decca, which was behind last year’s Christmas Number One.

Choir founder and director Victoria Verbi said the Games Maker Choir hoped to keep the Olympic spirit alive. She added: “We pulled together to help put on the Olympics and the choir is our way of keeping the Olympic legacy going.”