“It’s the volunteers that make the Athletes’ Games”

So said a certain five time Gold medal winning Briton, Sir Steve Redgrave CBE. And it’s also the volunteers that make the visitors’ Games, which is why the Kent Campaign is determined to maximise the number of Kentish folk who are successfully chosen to be a London 2012 volunteer (and these volunteers won’t just be required in London, but at e.g. key transport hubs such as Dover, Ramsgate, Ashford and Ebbsfleet).

With over 70, 000 volunteers required (from age 14 upwards), you can register your interest now to be a London 2012 volunteer, at www.london2012.com, to receive information and updates, although the London recruitment campaign won’t actually begin until 2010 .

 

Local experts required

Within the context of the Kent Campaign for the 2012 Games, Kent Tourism working with Thanet District Council has launched a pilot in Thanet to enable visitors to experience the wealth and breadth of local knowledge and passion about the area in which they live.

Based on New York’s Big Apple Greeter programme, Thanet’s ‘meeters and greeters’ are intended to provide real local flavour to visiting tourists, who want to experience the real Kent. This pilot is a first for Europe, and it is hoped that the pilot can be rolled out across the county. This pilot is just one of a range of measures being taken forward by the Tourism sectoral task group to maximise the opportunities of the nine year 'tourism window' that the Games present Kent.

To find out more visit www.thanet-greeters.org.uk

 

 

Extending a very warm Kentish welcome

March 31st 2007 saw the launch of the first countywide Big Day Out, a programme that will grow each year until 2012. Premised on the knowledge that 25% of Kent’s tourists stay with friends or family resident in Kent.

This programme saw 11, 000 free tickets quite literally downloaded within days by Kent residents, keen to explore, understand, and, hopefully, share with visitors, the fantastically wide and varied tourism offer of the county.

The Kent Campaign’s tourism sectoral task group, led by the Kent Tourism Alliance, is working to expand the 2008 Big Day Out to include more sports and cultural events and venues, as well as even more tourism venues and attractions. Big Day Out is just one of a range of measures being taken forward by the Tourism sectoral task group to maximise the opportunities of the nine year 'tourism window' that the Games present Kent.

To find out more, contact sandra@ktanet.co.uk or ruth@ktanet.co.uk

 

 

Kent on London’s doorstep

With the forthcoming Games’ nine year tourism window as a catalyst (Kent Tourism Alliance is projecting an additional £324 million for the industry off the back of the Games), Kent has launched its first London outdoor campaign for over four years.

Using a mixture of 'cross-track' posters at key termini, underground posters and in-carriage underground panels, the campaign commences on 18th June and will remain in place throughout the summer. The intention is that there will then be a “London Campaign” every year leading up to 2012, based on the premise that London is the UK’s single largest market, Kent is clearly accessible for that market, and that targeting a London market will also reach the many national and international tourists visiting London. KTA’s London Campaign is just one of a range of measures being taken forward by the Tourism sectoral task group to maximise the opportunities of the nine year “tourism window” that the Games present Kent.

To find out more, contact sandra@ktanet.co.uk or ruth@ktanet.co.uk

 

History to repeat itself?

When London last hosted an Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, rationing was still in force, and the Games were a 'first' not only for the participation of Communist countries, but for being the first Games to be boycotted - again very much a reflection of the then recently ended World War II.

The 1948 Games’ torch relay was welcomed into the UK through the port of Dover, and the torch continued its way throughout the night through Dover, Canterbury, Charing, Maidstone, Westerham, and Redhill.

Kent is keen that the Olympic flame for 2012 revisits its 1948 history, and the Kent campaign for the 2012 Games has already gained the support of key Dover, Kent and regional figures and organisations, as well as raising our ambitions for the torch’s arrival with the London 2012 team. We believe Dover should welcome the torch in 2012 because:

 

• Dover was the welcome point for the torch when London last hosted the Games, in 1948. It would be fantastic to pick up on this historical link
• Dover is the natural gateway to London from Europe, the natural gateway to the wider UK from Europe, and a gateway to Europe from London (and Stratford). Visitors' first and last impressions of the UK are formed here.
• The white cliffs of Dover are consistently recognised by international visitors as one of England's most famous landmarks, and the torch's arrival at Dover would therefore reinforce international interest and media coverage (which of course the UK and the IOC welcome) in the London 2012 Games.
• Dover is a town beginning to undergo significant regeneration, and the arrival of the torch would support those regeneration efforts, reinforcing the Olympic and Paralympic Games as a tool around which regeneration can be delivered/supported. This was a key part of London's bid, and ties in strongly with the case for "legacy" which Kent, LOCOG, the ODA and the IOC are all focused on.
• Dover has experience of hosting international sports events. Dover will host the World Archery Grand Prix in 2007, with Lord Sebastian Coe as Patron.
  

 

Pre Games Training Camps

In January, Kent and Medway partners submitted details of over 120 different possible venues to host Pre Games Training Camps, prior to, and during, 2012, plus a wealth of additional ancillary evidence such as accommodation, security, accessibility, catering, and medical support.

The venues put forward by partners from across the UK are now being shortlisted, over the course of the summer, by the London Organising Committee, for a final selection to be profiled in the official London 2012 Pre Games Training Camps Guide. Such a Guide is being trialled at the Beijing 2008 Games, and so it is not yet clear how much use National Olympic Committees and National Paralympic Committees will make of the Guide, and how much use they will use other channels.

Kent County Council on behalf of the Kent Campaign’s sports sectoral task group, is currently conducting an in depth examination of the countries due to take part in the 2012 Games, and the sports they are most likely to field athletes in, to then match these up with our known facilities and Pre Games Training Camp offer. This will inform us in targeting specific countries e.g. a smaller Commonwealth nation or specific teams e.g. the Indian Hockey team.

Further details can be obtained from chris.metherell@kent.gov.uk who can in turn advise of local Pre Games Training Camp leads.

 

Funding for new posts in sport

A ‘workforce development plan’ that supports the county to now bid for further regional funding for club, coach and volunteer posts has been drawn up by the County.

Discussions are taking place with wider regional and national partners to ensure that these posts hopefully be joined by curling, swimming and archery sports development posts.

In addition to all these, funding has been secured from Kent County Council from next year to invest an additional £50, 000 per annum into disability sport in the county, until 2010.

Further details can be obtained from andrea.murphy@kent.gov.uk

 

 

 

 

New London 2012 Brand

London 2012 launched their new branding on 4 June 2007. Initially it will be available to 30 or so key stakeholders, such as competition venue hosts, defined by LOCOG.

Come mid-2009 up to 1,000 other events [note not organisations but events, programmes or projects] will be able to use the brand, this will then be widened further in 2010. From early 2012, the brand will be available to download in template form for use in local posters and promotional material.

London 2012 has been heavily criticised by a range of partners since the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act was approved in April 2006, about the perceived draconian protection of the London Olympic and Paralympic brand. Whilst this has been understandable, London 2012 has been working behind the scenes with the International Olympic Committee to secure the widest ever access to the Olympic/Paralympic brand for non commercial partners, with some notable success.

Visit www.london2012.com to see the London 2012 branding.

 

Supporting the next generation of artists

The Kent Campaign's arts sectoral task group is currently exploring with two Higher Education bodies two possible bids for funding to the Arts & Humanities Research Council. One with the University of Kent at Canterbury is around "How can the creative sector and HE colleges collaborate to support professional development and the next generation of artists and producers of outdoor work”, the second with the University College of Creative Arts is around measuring the impact of the Cultural Olympiad on communities and on the creative sector.

 

 

 

Young People from Kent tell of their own ambitions from the Games

Kent County Council and Screen South have commissioned a project to work with three groups of young people from across the County to join an international community of young story tellers by telling Kent's stories of what the London Olympics and Paralympics means to a young person in Kent.

Joining 280 young media producers world-wide, the first of these three groups has finished its film, with a focus on the Paralympics in particular, and the film will shortly be available. The remaining two groups’ films will be finished this summer, and Screen South are currently in discussion with a local cinema to host a screening event so that the youngsters, and their friends and families, can see their work up on the big screen.

More details from Karen Newell of Kidnet, KarenN@ragdollfoundation.org.uk or
alison.dilnutt@screensouth.org

 

 

Cultural hub around Ebbsfleet?

Agenda UK has been appointed to lead on delivering the Cultural Framework and Toolkit for Thames Gateway Kent, and recently met with the Kent Campaign to explore how we can work together and with local partners including the Thames Gateway Kent Board, the three delivery vehicles and the four local authorities to really harness the opportunity of the Cultural Olympiad. Endorsed by the Olympic Delivery Authority, there is momentum to establish a cultural hub around Ebbsfleet International and the Landmark Sculpture, and Gravesham Council is exploring how the Cultural Olympiad can be used to celebrate the diversity of the local population.

 

South East ‘Creative Programmer’

The appointment of a South East Creative Programmer to lead on the Cultural Olympiad for Kent and our fellow counties in the region is expected to be in place no later than September 2007.

 

Kent volunteers supporting Kent Events

Whilst we continue to await the publication of the London 2012 Volunteering Action Plan as to how London 2012 will approach recruiting, training and managing 70, 000 volunteers (the largest volunteer workforce ever required by any Olympic/Paralympic Games to date), the Kent Campaign and Kent’s Voluntary Sector have been meeting to explore how we might better meet the needs of one-off leisure, cultural or sporting events in the county, now and in the future. The project final shape will be influenced by the current project being led by Sevenoaks Volunteering Centre of Excellence.

 

2012 and your business

£11.3bn will be spent over the next five years in developing the infrastructure and delivery of the 2012 Games. That’s a lot of business opportunity!

Perhaps more importantly, once a company is in the right shape to meet pre qualifying standards for a 2012 contract, it will most certainly be 'fit' for public sector contracts, worth £27bn per year. The Kent Campaign for the 2012 Games has worked closely with bodies such as Business Link Kent to help local businesses understand how to 'get in shape' for the Games.

"There will be opportunities for many, many companies, either directly or indirectly, to be involved in and benefit from delivering the extensive range of goods, services and resources needed to stage the Games - from one person home-based operations to small-to-medium enterprises and big corporations."
London Organising Committee Chief Executive Paul Deighton.

Olympic Business Alerts

You can sign up to Olympic Business Alerts through the London 2012 website. Signing up at london2012.com is free, and by signing up your business will be kept informed of major developments, including new tender opportunities, key appointments and business events.

Olympic e-Tendering Service

The London 2012 eTendering Service will provide access to tendering opportunities generated by London 2012. The site provides a range of web-based eTendering support material which enables buyers and suppliers to engage, and provides a simple, secure and efficient means of managing the tender process. You can view opportunities on this site without registering. If you would like to participate in any tender, you will need to register on the site. So, sign up your business. It’s free.

Business Timescales

• Summer 2007 (now!) – Regional Business Support Programme exists - Managed by Business Link Kent on behalf of the region, you will be provided with tailored information for your business, including support in diagnosing your business’ state of readiness for bidding for a contract, as well as webinars and regular information flyers.
• Late Summer 2007 – National Business Opportunities Network will be launched
  Final details are yet to be confirmed, and we will therefore confirm these in our next newsletter. As well as managing the two registration processes noted above, the network will consist of London 2012’s excellent business pages at london2012.com, an anticipated eBrokerage system for Tier 1 and 2 suppliers to then link in with SMEs and SME consortia and supply chains, a Construction Commitment Roadshow coming to the South East in the autumn of 2007, and Industry Days for , as an example, the landscaping industries.

 

Remember, registration is free.

Visit www.businesslinkkent.com for more advice for local businesses.

Visit www.london2012.com/business for London 2012’s business pages, and to register for the two services above.

 

Kent School Games

The inaugural Kent School Games Finals will be held in the summer of 2008, mirroring the County’s commitment to building a long-term legacy for young people from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The School Games will be based on the School Sport Partnership and Sports College networks, of which there are 15 School Sport Partnerships in Kent, including two in Medway. Heats and trials will run at school sport partnership level between October 2007 and May 2008 with winning schools progressing to Finals events. In some secondary level events, representative teams may be selected for the Finals. It is anticipated that the Finals events will be at the end of June 2008.

The Finals events will be clustered together to create a festival atmosphere. For 2008 the east of the county, primarily Canterbury area, will host the majority of the finals.

For further details, contact chris.hespe@kent.gov.uk or danny.o'donovan@kent.gov.uk

 

£153 million European Social Fund opportunity

Available for the region 2007 – 2012, this pot of funding is not explicitly for 2012 related projects, but the Kent Campaign’s skills and training sectoral task group is keen to explore what opportunities the two streams offer for the County's 2012 work.

The two ESF themes for this round are 'extending employment' and 'developing a skilled and adaptable workforce.'

Off the back of this, the group is interested in projects targeting the voluntary/skills aspects of the Kent Campaign for the 2012 Games, 19+ learners, older workers, supporting delivery of 'skills for life', and/or 'additionality' for existing training programmes aimed at 16 to 19 year olds.

For further information, please visit www.lsc.gov.uk/regions/SouthEast/ESF/

 

Cultural Olympiad: Opportunities for closer collaboration between our creative and tourism businesses

Representatives of tourism and creative businesses met recently with training providers to explore how the four year Cultural Olympiad can be used to grow and support the skills development and entrepreneurial approach of small and medium sized creative businesses and tourism businesses across the County.

Further detail is available is available on the Kent Campaign’s website

 

Supporting Kent festivals through the Cultural Olympiad

Work led by the Kent Campaign’s Arts sectoral task group and in particular the University of Kent at Canterbury, is drawing together “how to” toolkits from across the country to identify ‘best practice’ to support local communities to celebrate, promote and enhance existing festivals within the context of the four year Cultural Olympiad. From the start of next year, four pilot areas will be supported by students on UKC’s Creative Events Course to explore how using the toolkits and 2012 can ‘add’ to local ambition and efforts.

Further detail from Dermot O’Brien, d.l.o'brien@kent.ac.uk

 

 

 

Finishing Straight of our Inaugural Newsletter

We hope that you have found this newsletter informative, and that it has provided some inspiration and food for thought as to what you might do locally with the magic dust of the Games.

The Games are a very unique and time bound opportunity, and with Kent’s proximity to them, they are an opportunity we must imaginatively and confidently seize with both hands. Kent is receiving national and regional recognition for our approach to these opportunities, and challenges, and, with your help and input and local activity, we intend to keep it that way!

Detail on most of the items featured in this newsletter are available on our website www.kentsport.org/london2012.

A full list of the members of the Kent Coordinating Group for the 2012 Games is also available on our website,
as are membership lists for each of the nine sectoral task groups.

Our thanks go to all partners in the Kent Campaign, and to all those who have contributed to this newsletter.

Kent Campaign for the 2012 Games
KCC Sports, Leisure and Olympics
Commercial Services Building
Gibson Drive, Kings Hill
West Malling
ME19 4QG

 

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