TWO Bexley NHS staff are preparing to volunteer at the Paralympic Games opening ceremony.

Taking place at 8.30pm on August 29, the ceremony will challenge perceptions of human possibility.

Stop Smoking advisor, Harinder Sadhu, is one of the 3,200 volunteers taking part and promises it will be even better than the Olympic opening ceremony.

The 61-year-old said: "They have been drilling us hard and I’ll have completed about 20 four-hour sessions by the time we are ready to go out and do our stuff.

"We’ve been practising at Three Mills in Stratford and also in Dagenham and I can’t say anything apart from the fact that it is going to be spectacular."

She added: "The games in London is part of history and something I’m really excited to be a part of.

"It’s unlikely to happen again in our lifetime so I grabbed the opportunity when they were advertising for people to take part.

"I’ve been lucky enough to see the volleyball and we went out in the rain to cheer the women on in the marathon."

Dr Ricky Gondhia, 31, is also taking part in the Paralympic opening ceremony.

He worked in Greenwich Park during the Olympics as part of the equestrian team providing medical support for riders and their families.

Health promotion advisor for children and young people, Pascale Berthellet, volunteered during the Olympics as part of the transport team based at the Excel Centre in Docklands.

She was a ‘T3’ driver who used the Olympic travel lanes to ferry athletes, officials and the press between various venues and hotels.

Ms Berthellet said: "It is a fantastic experience and a great opportunity to meet people from all walks of life.

"The highlight so far has been driving a Ukrainian athlete who was competing in the shooting competition at the Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich."

Public health analyst, Elizabeth Marchant, performed in the Olympic opening ceremony as a nurse in the NHS section.

The 27-year-old attended more than 23 rehearsals, with each session lasting between four and 10 hours.

She said: "It was a bit surreal - I couldn’t believe I had just been part of the opening ceremony and the whole world had been watching.

"We got to keep our costumes so we went straight out from the stadium for a few celebratory drinks.

"As we were still in our costumes we got mobbed by people and media asking to take our pictures. For a few minutes I felt like a celebrity."