2012 Cornwall
Cornwall Seeks to Benefit from 2012 Olympic Games
Business and sports leaders in Cornwall have joined together in an exciting initiative aimed at getting lasting benefits for the county from the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
A high powered Steering Group of business, sporting, education and local authority leaders has been set up to map how the county can benefit from 2012. The Group is chaired by Jonathan Harris, Cornwall's former Director of Education who is now Executive Chairman of the Cornwall Sports Partnership.
"2012 offers tremendous opportunities for Cornwall - for business, sport, education, culture and for volunteers" said Jonathan Harris. "2012 is not just about London. We can benefit both in the period leading up to the Games and afterwards. Our aim is to develop a lasting 2012 legacy for Cornwall".
The immediate priority of the Group is to help organisations which want to establish training camps for Olympic athletes in Cornwall. Prospective providers must show their interest with the London Organising Committee by 31 January 2007.
"LOCOG have set out their requirements very clearly" said John Larke of Cornwall Enterprise, "but we shall find out even more when we attend a regional briefing with Sport England on the 25 October.
"We are keen to pass what we learn on. We know the average Olympic team is only 10 athletes, so training camps could appeal not only to large organizations but also to smaller ones catering for niche markets where we could develop strong competitive advantage here."
"There is unlikely to be additional Government money for training camps themselves, but we would be delighted to help facilitate consortia to use existing facilities and develop new ones as a business proposition and using existing funding routes."
The Steering Group is also keen to emphasize the opportunities in the period leading to 2012 and beyond. Thelma Sorensen, Chair of the Cornwall Economic Forum, said "We should not just assume that everything will happen in London. Manufacture of equipment, design, lighting, signing-posting, food preparation and a whole host of other activities can be undertaken here."
The County and District Councils are also supporting the group. Andrew Mitchell, the County Council's Executive Member for the Economy, said "Following on from Objective One and Convergence funding, 2012 can offer a further boost to Cornwall's economy if we are alert to its potential."
Another member of the Group is Jim Seligman of Cornwall College. He has been involved in every Olympic Games since the 1984 Games in Atlanta. He was involved in organising the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 which are generally regarded as the most successful ever.
"2012 has great potential to leave Cornwall a lasting legacy just like the Sydney Games left legacies to the whole of Australia" he said. "It is a tremendous opportunity which we must seize."
For more information please contact Jonathan Harris on 01872 324654 or email: chairman@cornwallsportspartnership.co.uk.