Right from the very beginning of our bid in 2003, London 2012 has been about what can be achieved through the inspiration and power of sport, using it as a catalyst for positive change and inspiration.
The building of the brand new Olympic Park has turned what was once contaminated industrial land into one of the most exciting parts of the capital.
Long after the athletes and spectators have moved on, the Olympic Park – to be renamed the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park after the Games – will become a fantastic new focal point for the capital – and will be transformed into one of the largest urban parks created in Europe in more than 150 years.
In addition to giving companies across the UK a boost during what have been extremely challenging economic times, with a total £7 billion of contracts generated by the London 2012 Games, the Games have provided thousands of people with jobs and training, leaving long-term social and economic benefits for London and the UK.
In line with our original bid promise to increase sports participation, half-a-million people have been inspired to get involved in sport through the Games, with a £135 million investment in 1,500 facilities, clubs, playing fields and participation programmes.
International Inspiration, the groundbreaking international sports legacy programme, exemplifies what London 2012 stands for and the legacies it is delivering. In the UK alone, it has initiated more than 900 sport-specific projects across every nation and region to develop sports participation and physical activity schemes for people of all ages.
Meanwhile, the London 2012 Paralympic Games helped change attitudes towards disability and increase awareness of the Paralympics. The success of our Paralympic ticketing programme has opened up disability sports to a whole new audience, and in 2011 London became the first city outside Germany to host International Paralympic Day.
