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Key Areas of Opportunity for 2012 Games
There are a number of exciting opportunities that the region can get involved in now.
Pre-Games Training Camps
- Prior to the Games, athletes from around the world will be training and preparing for the competition. Some will use facilities known as 'Pre-Games Training Camps' set up by a country's National Olympic or Paralympic Committee either immediately prior to the London 2012 Games, and in some cases up to three years beforehand. A Guide is being preparing where facilities that have approved as providing a suitable training environment in the UK are listed by location and by sport. This guide will be ready in 2008.
- SEEDA is providing support to local authorities to map and explore sub-regional clusters of facilities. Contact the SE Regional Co-ordinator for more information.
Business Opportunities
The Cultural Olympiad
- This will last from 2008-12 and includes the opening and closing ceremonies, major projects and a UK-wide cultural festival. The national plans are in development by LOCOG. The Culture and Communities sub group will lead on this work.
- A £40 million trust from the national lottery will be opened towards the end of next year to support cultural and sporting activities in the run up to 2012 as part of the Cultural Olympiad and you may like to think about what projects this could support in your area. See www.legacytrustuk.org for more details.
In addition, there are other areas of activity that you may be interested in:
Tourism
- Current estimates are that 50-75% of the net benefits of staging the Games will accrue through tourism across the UK. The strength of the South East's tourism offer in conjunction with its proximity to the Olympic site presents major opportunities pre, during and post 2012 and we have set a target of £1bn extra tourism income for the South East. We want to improve the quality of our tourism product and welcome and promote the South East as a world class region for visitors and residents alike.
Volunteering
- One in 11 South East residents already volunteers in some capacity and we hope to use the inspiration of the Games to increase this number and enhance our voluntary sector. Up to 70,000 volunteers will be needed for the Games - please visit for www.london2012.com/get-involved/volunteering/index.php - more information.
Education
- London 2012 has launched an education toolkit designed to help excite and engage children and young people across the UK about the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The 'On your Marks!' website provides schools and young people across the UK with a range of up to date information about the Games including factsheets, news articles and a bank of images for use at home or in school, as well as teaching ideas to help teachers and support staff to integrate these resources into the classroom. See www.london2012.com/onyourmarks
Skills
- £6 millin of funding was made available in the South East for businesses from the construction and leisure industries to upgrade their skills and help deliver a successful Olympics. The 'On Your Marks' programme was developed by Government Offices, LSCs and RDAs from London, the South East and the East of England, forming the Greater South East (GSE) partnership.
Communications and Extranet
- The SEEDA communications team is developing a communications plan to promote and share information about the South East's plans for 2012. An extranet will also be established with background information.
Major Events
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SEEDA, Tourism South East, Sport England South East and Culture South East jointly fund a Major Sports Events Manager to help bid for and bring major sporting events to the region, such as the Grand Depart of the Tour de France. Contact Lindsey Horton at lhorton@tourismse.com for more information.
Contact Lindsey Horton at
lhorton@tourismse.com
for more information.
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