The East of England is rising to the challenge of the London 2012 Games by creating a sustainable legacy that extends far beyond the sporting landscape.
Planning and delivery
Our programme includes economic development and regeneration; employment; skills; tourism; education; volunteering; health and wellbeing; and culture.
The Nations and Regions East partnership is working to achieve this vision for the East of England.
Our partnership brings together geographical representation from the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and the four unitary authorities of Luton, Peterborough, Southend and Thurrock.
It also includes the following key agencies and organisations: East of England Local Government Association; Sport England; Arts Council East; East of England Business Group; Skills Funding Agency; and the Department of Health and Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.
The East of England will host two London 2012 events: Olympic Mountain Biking at Hadleigh Farm and Canoe Slalom at the Lee Valley White Water Centre.
Olympic Torch Relay
The East of England will host six evening celebration events as part of the Olympic Torch Relay, which will travel through the region from 3–8 July. Each county area will be visited by the Flame on its journey to London.
Cultural Olympiad
Between 2008 and 2011, the Cultural Olympiad programme in the East region reached over one million people through more than 40 projects and 650 public events. It has been worth a total of in excess of £2 million, providing more than 750 workshops.
A wide range of projects and programmes are taking place in the East of England this summer as part of the London 2012 Festival, including Music Nation, Crash of the Elysium and Ring Round the World.
Find out more about Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival events in the East of England
Pre-Games Training Camps
As of January 2012, 23 Pre-Games Training Camps are due to take place in the region. The Rwandan Olympic and Paralympic teams will be based in Bury St. Edmunds, while British Virgin Island athletes will be located in Hertfordshire. Elsewhere, a number of West African teams will be training in Bedford, while the men’s Canadian Gymnastics team will be in Suffolk.
Inspire
A total of 163 sporting, educational and other community projects have been awarded a London 2012 Inspire mark. These include:
- Legacy from London to Brazil, Norfolk
- Inspired Life Role Models, Bedfordshire
- Team Essex Ambassadors, Essex
- RHS Optua Games, Suffolk
Get Set
Eighty-nine per cent of schools in the region have signed up to the Get Set programme, bringing the Values of the Games to life for their pupils. A total of 1,700 schools became part of the Get Set network in time to be eligible for tickets to the Games through the Ticketshare programme.
Economic legacy
Over £1 billion of Games contracts have been won by East of England businesses. More than 139 businesses in the region have played a role in the construction of the Olympic Park, including:
- Architectural Glazed Façades Ltd, Cambridge – curtain walling and cladding for the Velodrome
- Certwood, Luton – manufactured spectator seats for the Olympic Stadium
- Lee Warren Fabrication & Design, St Albans – architectural metalwork for the Velodrome
- Camfaud Concrete Pumps, Epping – concrete pumping for the wetlands project in the Olympic Park
- A J Morrisoe, Borehamwood – concrete for the Aquatics Centre
Volunteering
Over 35,000 people from the region expressed an interest to be a Games Maker.
Contact Information
To keep up to date with progress and opportunities in the East of England visit www.risingtothechallengeeast.co.uk or email eastofengland@london2012.com
