This week MPs and peers took part in a series of meetings and visits for Parliamentary Legacy Week.
Hosted by the all-party group for sport and coordinated by the Sport and Recreation Alliance, it focused minds on the long-term impact of London 2012 as the one-year anniversary fast approaches.
The week began with a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park ahead of its public opening in July.
Parliamentarians donned their boots, helmets and high visibility jackets for a viewing of the velodrome, which is currently undergoing its transition from elite arena to community facility.
This was followed by a briefing inside the stadium about the work needed ahead of West Ham moving in for the 2016/17 season.
In Westminster, Lord Coe briefed the cross-party group of MPs and peers about his work as the government’s legacy ambassador.
Members later heard from the County Sport Partnership Network and Join In about their upcoming initiatives to enhance sporting participation and volunteering in communities across the country.
The women’s sport and fitness group, supported by the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation, considered the barriers to sport participation among girls, hearing form public health minister Anna Soubry MP and shadow sports minister Clive Efford MP.
The week concluded with a visit to primary schools in Tower Hamlets, highlighting the collaborative work between the Lawn Tennis Association and charitable organisations to increase take-up of tennis where participation is low.
Lord Coe, the Government’s Olympic Legacy Ambassador said:
“The all-party group for sport has always taken a close and active interest in the Olympic and Paralympic legacy, and their activities this week have reminded MPs and peers not only of the progress that has already been made but also of the important role they can play not just in Westminster but in their own communities.”
Gerry Sutcliffe, chair of the APPG for Sport said:
“Legacy Week has not only reminded us of the inspirational impact of London 2012, but has also focused minds on the work that is still to be done if we are to ensure that the Games really do inspire a generation. It’s clear that parliamentarians have an important role to play in achieving that goal.”
Elsewhere in Parliament, members of a new House of Lords committee heard from Dame Tessa Jowell MP and Ken Livingstone in the early stages of their inquiry into the government’s legacy strategy. The Olympic and Paralympic Legacy select committee will publish their conclusions in November.
Notes to editors
1. Parliamentary Legacy Week has been organised by The All Party Parliamentary Group for Sport – a cross-party group of MPs who hold regular meetings in Westminster to discuss a range of issues, from grassroots clubs to elite competition.
2. The secretariat is provided by the Sport and Recreation Alliance, allowing the group’s members to draw on the knowledge and experiences of over 300 national representative and governing bodies of sport and recreation.
3. The group is chaired by Gerry Sutcliffe MP, who was minister for sport from 2007-10 and is also chair of the APPG for Disability Sports. The group’s officers are Lord Addington, Baroness Grey-Thompson, Andrew Bingham MP and Charlotte Leslie MP.
4. Read more about the Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Committee.
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