About Beacon Status
In March 2009 Tessa Jowell, the then Olympics Minister, awarded Kent County Council its first ever Beacon for its work on the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Kent County Council (KCC) was one of only five local authorities in the UK to be recognised by the Government for its work relating to the London 2012 Games.
What is Beacon status?
Managed by the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA), the Beacon award celebrates excellence and innovation in local government. With this recognition comes a responsibility that Beacons then share their best practice with other local authorities across the UK.
Why is Kent a Beacon?
Kent County Council was awarded Beacon status for outstanding work in using the opportunity of hosting the 2012 Games to encourage communities to be more active. KCC’s work on securing a legacy for the county from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is led by its Sport, Leisure and Olympics Service
Kent’s application to the Beacon scheme focused on four main areas:
- increasing participation in sport and physical activity;
- regenerating communities;
- increasing participation in cultural and volunteering activity;
- engaging with schools and young people.
Through achieving Beacon status, KCC has opportunities to promote our work nationally and to learn from other organisations, enabling both others and ourselves to engage communities further to take advantage of the 2012 Games.
2010-2012 – Local Leadership, Local Legacy
In 2009 Kent was awarded funding from Communities, and Local Government to continue our work as a Beacon Authority beyond the 2009/10 year, through a project ‘Local Leadership, Local legacy’ (LLLL). This project was conceived and developed by Kent CC working in partnership with London Borough of Hackney and Essex County Council.
Together with these two other 2012 Beacons we are working with the joint aim of supporting targeted authorities to use the 2012 Games as a catalyst to improve the health inequality outcomes, and realise local 2012 legacy. The LLLL project will do this primarily through our joint 2012 efforts around sport and physical activity.
For more information on Kent’s Campaign for the 2012 Games contact the Kent Manager for the 2012 Games Stephanie.holt@kent.gov.uk or visit the Kent 2012 Campaign website
