25/11/2008 - London 2012 official highlights opportunities for Cumbria : Cumbria County Council

One of the key people behind the the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is visiting Cumbria this Friday (November 28th) to learn how the county is planning to rise to the challenge of being involved in the Games.

Charles Allen CBE, Chair of the London 2012 Nations and Regions Group and member of the LOCOG Board, is spending a packed day in Cumbria learning about the existing sporting infrastructure, highlighting future opportunities, visiting a possible London 2012 Pre Games Training Camp facility for Judo and attending the Cumbria Sports Awards.

As Chairman of the Nations and Regions Group, Allen’s role is to ensure that the whole of the UK benefits from the 2012 Games and he is visiting Cumbria to encourage people here to get involved.

Charles Allen said: “I'm looking forward to spending the day in Cumbria and seeing the fantastic facilities, infrastructure and people in place to drive forward the legacy of London 2012. Our bid promised a Games for everyone and here in Cumbria I will be able to see first hand how people are taking advantage of the opportunities afforded to them as we prepare to host the best possible Games for everyone."

In the morning, Cumbria Strategic Partnership is holding a conference at Kendal College from 10am. The conference, called 'Rising to the challenge of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games', will explore the opportunities London 2012 presents for Cumbria in terms of promoting sports and physical activity to a wider audience, business opportunities, culture, pre-Games training camps, volunteering and skills development, tourism and major sporting events.

Andy Worthington, Chair of the Northwest Steering Group for the 2012 Games; Cllr Brendan Jameson, Chair of the Cumbria 2012 Steering Group and Rob Young, Northwest Co-ordinator for the 2012 Games, will also speak at the event alongside Charles Allen.

At 2pm, the delegation will visit Kendal Judo Club to learn about its aspirations as one of Cumbria’s three facilities in the Pre Games Training Camp Guide and witness a Judo demonstration .

The Cumbria Sports Awards, which this year celebrate 25 years of sporting achievement in the county, will then take place at the Low Wood Hotel in Windermere from 7pm.

Andy Worthington said: “London 2012 really will provide countless opportunities for people and businesses across the North West to get involved with and benefit from the Games. In Cumbria the Olympic effect can inspire our young people to get more involved in sport. It is already in many classrooms, with some Cumbrian schools already registered with the London 2012 Get Set educational programme. Over the next four years we must build on this foundation to ensure young people, businesses and the community seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and secure a positive lasting legacy."

Cllr Brendan Jameson said: "The London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games offers the biggest opportunity Cumbria has to market itself on a world stage. The event on Friday is a superb chance to demonstrate what we have to offer. Everyone in Cumbria, whatever age, will have a chance to get involved in the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in some way. There will be opportunities for people, communities, schools and businesses. People should not think this is just about London and does not concern us because it does. In the Sydney Olympics some training camps were over 2,500 miles away and Cumbria is 260 miles from London and closer than Los Angeles is to San Francisco."

Bill Lowther, Chair of Cumbria Strategic Partnership, said:
"This is a great opportunity for us to focus our thoughts on how we can make the most out of the Games here in Cumbria. Bringing the Olympics and Paralympics to this country is a major honour for us all and we're all going to feel part of it."

- Media are invited to attend all or any individual parts of the visit via prior arrangement. A programme of the CSP conference is attached.

- Kendal College is located on Milnthorpe Road, Kendal. Kendal Judo Club is located on Parkside Rd, Kendal.

- Kendal Judo Club is one of three facilities in Cumbria listed in the London 2012 Pre Games Training Camp Guide, the others are Sheepmount Athletics Stadium in Carlisle and Hoops Basketball Centre in Barrow (who will also be involved in the visit and presentations). The aspirations for Kendal Judo Club are not just to attract visiting teams in the build up to London 2012 and Glasgow 2014, but also to ensure continued growth and development of the sport in the area. The club has been in existence since 1957 and has strong links within international Judo with top international players training in Kendal over a long period of time. The club was the base of former GB Coach, Tony Macconnell whilst Neil Eckersley was one of the most successful 'home grown' players winning a bronze medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. The success rate continues with a dozen of the club's current members winning medals at International Tournaments. The new purpose built Dojo in Kendal was opened by World and European Champion Craig Fallon in June 2006. Since then the Dojo has been host to many National Squads; has hosted the English Open Championships; and the 2008 the National Team Championships. The visit to the club will be led by Mike Liptrot, who is the current Head Coach.

- The London 2012 Nations and Regions Group is made up of 12 senior representatives from UK business and sport: nine from the English regions and one each from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

- Each NRG member chairs a task force bringing together representatives of interested parties across their nation or region. They each have a vision and plan for making the most of the London 2012 opportunity - from helping businesses gear up to win 2012 Games-related contracts to encouraging young people to take up more sport and activity.

- The Creative Director for the Olympic Handover from Beijing to London, Stephen Powell, lives and works in Ulverston, Cumbria.

- There are 2 schools near to Friday's event registered for the London 2012 Education Programme, Get Set: The Lakes School, Troutbeck Bridge, Windermere, and St Cuthberts RC Primary School, Princes Road.