Olympic ‘Games Maker’ councillor welcomes legacy plan
Approval for council plan to secure Jubilee and Olympic legacy
A councillor who volunteered as a London 2012 ‘Games Maker’ has persuaded South Gloucestershire Council to ‘keep the flame burning’.
Back in October last year, councillors unanimously backed a motion proposed by Siston Conservative Councillor Ian Adams calling on the authority’s Chief Executive to draw up plans that secure a local legacy to the Olympics, Paralympics and Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.
And at this week’s meeting (Monday 11th February) of the authority’s Policy and Resources Committee, councillors unanimously approved this plan, which includes:
- · Continued council backing for the Festival of Youth Sport and the Sports Awards, as well as the Get On Track and Choices4U Legacy sporting initiatives;
- · Designating a wave of green spaces as Queen Elizabeth II Playing Fields and continuing significant investment in major park improvements;
- · maximising access to external sources of legacy funding, including from Sport England and the Lottery.
Cllr Adams was one of 70,000 Games Maker volunteers and - as a T2 Driver - was given the task of transporting International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials and VIPs between venues.
Welcoming the plan, he said:
“We should recognise the huge amount of effort put in by so many people into the successful staging of the London 2012 Olympics, Paralympics and Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
The Olympic motto was "Inspire a Generation" and after being involved in the Olympics, I truly believe the feeling and movement generated by the Olympics should be tapped into and used to reach all areas of local community life.
It's down to all of us to keep that flame burning, including councils because they provide 80 per cent of this country’s community sports infrastructure – leisure centres, swimming pools, parks and open spaces – which is where the majority of people will first participate in sport or physical activity.
I very much welcome the way this plan sets out how this authority, including through working with its partners, can secure a lasting legacy to the London 2012 Olympics, Paralympics and Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.”