In Making it happen...
In Get Involved...
In The Games...
In Visiting in 2012...

December 2008

header image
December 2008
no image

2008 – our year in numbers

The 2012 Editor, 24 December 2008

75p of every pound we spend going towards the lasting regeneration of the area

Over 2 billion people worldwide watched London 2012's 8 minute Handover segments in the Olympic and Paralympic Games Closing Ceremonies in Beijing 

9 partners now signed up with the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) - 7 at Tier 1 and 2 at Tier 2). Over two thirds of its domestic sponsorship target raised

640 potential Pre-Games Training Camps included in the London 2012 PGTC Guide (465 are Olympic-only; 13 are Paralympic-only;162 are both Olympic and Paralympic)

500,000 cubic metres of soil cleaned of contamination such as petrol, oil, tar...

Read more of “2008 – our year in numbers”

0 Comments on this post
Hugh, ODA Director of Transport

World-class venues and transport

Hugh, ODA Director of Transport, 22 December 2008

World-class venues and a world-class transport system are essential to the success of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I recently took shadow Transport Minister Stephen Hammond to see our progress in both these areas.

We started off by taking a tour of the Olympic Park and getting a good look at construction on the major venues. The Olympic Stadium has developed so much that you can really imagine the world’s best athletes competing there.

Meanwhile the footprint of the Velodrome, where Great Britain's cyclists will be keen to back up their golden performances from Beijing, can now be...

Read more of “World-class venues and transport”

1 Comments on this post
no image

Born on 20/12 2004?

The 2012 Editor, 19 December 2008

During the bid for the Games we launched the 'Children's Promise' scheme, offering all children in the UK born on 20/12 day in 2004 (20 December) the chance to take part in a ceremony connected to the 2012 Games.

We have over 700 already registered and they celebrated today, on the eve of their fourth birthday. To mark the day, all the registered children were sent a birthday card and special adidas Children's Promise t-shirt from the London 2012 team. Families were invited to upload a photograph of their child playing sport in the t-shirt.

Some joined Olympian Jonathan Edwards for a...

Read more of “Born on 20/12 2004?”

0 Comments on this post
no image

Video: Aquatics Centre progress

John, Project Sponsor, Aquatics Centre, 18 December 2008

Watch this video to see an update of the work taking place on the Aquatics Centre.

Read more of “Video: Aquatics Centre progress”

0 Comments on this post
no image

Handover Ceremonies: stunned, thrilled and thoroughly proud

Leon, Culture team, 18 December 2008

When you’re a freelancer, like me, you do end up doing some amazing things, and 2008 has proven to me once again how amazing, crazy and unique each job can be.

Read more of “Handover Ceremonies: stunned, thrilled and thoroughly proud”

1 Comments on this post
Nick, Head of Education

So many highlights in the London 2012 education team's year

Nick, Head of Education, 17 December 2008

Wow – what a year for the education team! Just over a year ago, on 6 December 2007 we briefed some of the key stakeholders in the education sector on our strategy and plans from 2008 to 2012.

2008 was the year when we started to deliver...

wtw185x340

We were inspired, amazed and amused by over 33,000 photographs, 8 films and 13 soundtracks produced by almost 600 young people from the Host Boroughs who took part in 'Welcoming the World'. This was a film, photography and music project funded by Creative Partnerships and designed to encourage young people to...

Read more of “So many highlights in the London 2012 education team's year”

0 Comments on this post
Liz, Creative Programmer - East of England

Seeing bid promises come to fruition in the East of England

Liz, Creative Programmer - East of England, 17 December 2008

When I joined the East of England's Cultural Consortium in 2004 I worked on building support for the 'back the bid' campaign and more recently I have been the Creative Programmer for the East of England for London 2012 working on the Cultural Olympiad. 2008 has been a real landmark year and as I have been working on the London 2012 Games for over four and a half years now, so I have been doing some looking back myself.

In 2008 the Olympic and Paralympic Games became ours. In the East of England over 45,000 people were at events celebrating...

Read more of “Seeing bid promises come to fruition in the East of England”

0 Comments on this post
Tony, Marketing Manager, Olympic Park contractor

A night with the Midlands best sports personalities

Tony, Marketing Manager, Olympic Park contractor, 15 December 2008

I recently attended the BBC Midlands Sports Personality Awards at the Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham. I work for a smaller regional company that has won a main contract on the Olympic Park. Earlier I had given a presentation in Walsall about how smaller regional companies can also win work helping to build the Games through CompeteFor.

Now, back to the glamour of the glittering black tie event, which was attended by a number of medal winners from past Olympic and Paralympic Games. I met Anita Lonsborough who won a Swimming gold in the Rome 1960 Olympic Games when I was...

Read more of “A night with the Midlands best sports personalities”

0 Comments on this post
no image

Video: Highlights of the Beijing Games

The 2012 Editor, 15 December 2008

We hope you enjoy this video, made by our friends at the International Olympic Committee - capturing some of the magic of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Read more of “Video: Highlights of the Beijing Games”

0 Comments on this post
no image

Meeting of Minds: London 2012 business opportunities for women

Ruth, Business Outreach Manager, 15 December 2008

Another great 'Meeting of Minds' took place recently between small businesses in London and some of the London 2012 contractors building the Olympic Park. This time it was the turn of some female-owned businesses to meet with Team Stadium. Many were part of the WEConnect programme, which works for the Government to match them with good corporate opportunities. Many others had ensured their businesses were ready by publishing their profiles on the CompeteFor site, as we urge everyone to do.

The meeting was a good opportunity to discuss getting work through the London 2012 supply chain. Providers of IT solutions,...

Read more of “Meeting of Minds: London 2012 business opportunities for women”

0 Comments on this post
Seb Coe, LOCOG Chair

A great night for our Olympians and Paralympians

Seb Coe, LOCOG Chair, 14 December 2008

Tonight's BBC Sports Personality of the Year award show was a great night for our Olympians and Paralympians.

From Chris Hoy to Ellie Simmonds, Dave Brailsford and his Cycling team to Usain Bolt and Rebecca Adlington, it's clear that the British public was enchanted and inspired by the magnificent performances in Beijing.

Read more of “A great night for our Olympians and Paralympians”

0 Comments on this post
no image

BBC East Sports Award and NRE Athlete Reception

Katie Huane, Regional Project Manager for London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, 12 December 2008

Monday 8 December was an exciting evening in the East of England when we celebrated our sporting talent at the BBC Regional Sports Awards at Duxford American Air Museum.

Before the main event Nations and Regions East (NRE) hosted a 'Rising to the Challenge' reception for regional athletes and key stakeholders that have been working in the region to maximise the benefit from the Games. We were delighted that a number of regional Olympians and Paralympians were able to join us and learn more from the NRE Chairman, Councillor Stephen Castle, about how we hope to use the Games to...

Read more of “BBC East Sports Award and NRE Athlete Reception”

0 Comments on this post
no image

Too much too young – 2012 specials in the West Midlands

Hugh, Nations and Regions team, 12 December 2008

Spaghetti junction, The Specials, Skinner, Sabbath, Slade – iconic names from the West Midlands, to which another was added on Sunday night last, when Ellie Symmonds, (who at the age of 13 won two gold medals in the paralympics in Beijing), was voted BBC Midlands Sports Personality of the Year.

Riding the crest of this Games-related success (not to mention the seismic alliteration), the 2012 Nations and Regions team rolled into Birmingham on Monday last, Dec 8th. Along with Seb and Joseph, my charming communications colleague Annabel and I were welcomed to the region by Councellor Chris Saint and Tim Bryan,...

Read more of “Too much too young – 2012 specials in the West Midlands”

0 Comments on this post
Bill, Director of Ceremonies, Education and Live Sites

Spreading the gold dust - Culture, Ceremonies and Education style

Bill, Director of Ceremonies, Education and Live Sites, 11 December 2008

I'm currently reading Andrew Marr's excellent History of Modern Britain. Apart from his thoughtful and sometimes provocative interpretation of the intertwining worlds of politics, economics, culture and society, it brings one up with a start to be presented with world shattering events of what feels like just a few years ago in the context of historical analysis. To someone born in the late '50s or '60s, the fall of the Berlin Wall or even the 'Winter of Discontent' feels like they've only recently dropped away from the front pages of the broadsheets. Yet here we are giving all such events...

Read more of “Spreading the gold dust - Culture, Ceremonies and Education style”

1 Comments on this post
Seb Coe, LOCOG Chair

Meeting London 2012 hopefuls in the West Midlands

Seb Coe, LOCOG Chair, 10 December 2008

My latest nations and regions programme visit to the West Midlands started late after getting caught in a tailback caused by a car crash so missing my planned train to Birmingham. But with the adaptability that characterises the London 2012 project the team soon shuffled things around and made up good time.

Read more of “Meeting London 2012 hopefuls in the West Midlands”

0 Comments on this post
no image

Video: Latest from the VeloPark

Jan, Project Sponsor, Enabling Works, 10 December 2008

Watch the latest developments from the VeloPark site with some views from Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy.

Read more of “Video: Latest from the VeloPark”

0 Comments on this post
Craig, Government Relations team

Standing room only as London 2012 scrutiny steps up a gear

Craig, Government Relations team, 10 December 2008

A major part of ensuring that we excite and involve the whole population in London 2012 is to make sure that their political representatives get the chance to quiz us on progress.

Today we supplied a whole range of people from London 2012 to be quizzed on all aspects of the Games by the group of MPs that holds the Government to account for issues around London 2012 – the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.

Read more of “Standing room only as London 2012 scrutiny steps up a gear”

0 Comments on this post
Nneka, 2012 Culture Team

Looking back and looking forward: the London 2012 Culture team

Nneka, 2012 Culture Team, 9 December 2008

It's been a whirlwind year for us in the Culture team and for me an experience I'll always remember. I've pooled together the collective memories, experiences and plans for the New Year from the Culture team. They each had to do it in less than 200 words for two reasons; one, so not to give away too much of '09 and two, it's been a busy year and it's hard to fit it all in...take a look...

Fran Hegyi, Senior Cultural Programmes Advisor
Next year I'm looking forward to seeing some of the major projects coming to fruition. We have been...

Read more of “Looking back and looking forward: the London 2012 Culture team”

0 Comments on this post
no image

Discovering more about Olympic Park archaeology

Simon, Tower Hamlets resident, 9 December 2008

Earlier this month I arrived at the Museum of London Docklands, mildly flustered due to my slight directional mix up. Happily, I was met with a warm welcome and some delightful refreshments. The reason for my visit was to listen to an archaeological talk by Museum of London as a part of the Olympic Delivery Authority’s (ODA's) 'discover' programme.

The audience were taken on an in-depth archaeological journey starting on the Olympic Park back in 2004 leading to the current stages of the Museum of London's involvement. On the Park a Victorian cobbled street was uncovered, plus a Roman coin...

Read more of “Discovering more about Olympic Park archaeology”

0 Comments on this post
no image

Businesses in Hackney find out about London 2012 opportunities

Ruth, Business Outreach Manager, 9 December 2008

Around 20 Hackney-based businesses gathered recently for a workshop to hear about London 2012 and the business opportunities listed on CompeteFor. These occasions are always vibrant and very interactive. Local businesses really want to know what is happening and how they can get involved with London 2012 business opportunities. So it was our pleasure to tell them!

The businesses gathered for a talk:

People sitting in a room listening to a talk

Read more of “Businesses in Hackney find out about London 2012 opportunities”

0 Comments on this post