Coventry and Warwickshire 2012 Partnership

Get Involved in London 2012

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to inspire and engage communities across the country to be part of the two biggest sporting events in the world.

Coventry & Warwickshire is engaging in London 2012 across three levels:

Locally - through our six flagship projects

Regionally - via the West Midlands Cultural Programme www.wmfor2012.com

Nationally - through the National London 2012 initiatives

There are numerous tangible opportunities for businesses, local authorities, sports clubs, schools, individuals and communities to get involved, join in and be part of as we welcome the world to our doorstep in less than three years time.

Our sub-region has already benefited from London 2012 by having a positive economic impact and increasing its profile and image. In the lead up to the 2012 Games, we aim to continue to secure local, regional and national 2012 related opportunities.

In addition to securing our share of the numerous regional and national 2012 opportunities, we have developed and are now delivering six flagship projects until 2012 across Coventry & Warwickshire.

Unique to our sub-region, they demonstrate how we are part of the 2012 'Games' and will contribute to making the games a huge success outside of London, as well as raising the image and profile of our sub-region to a national and international audience on an unprecedented scale.

For further information about these opportunities please use the navigation menu on this page to see how you can get involved in London 2012. 

Legends of the Games

Celebrating local, national and international Olympians and Paralympians, and enabling them to inspire the next generation of young sportsmen and women from Coventry and Warwickshire...

• Creating a ‘Hall of Fame’ of Olympians and Paralympians with links to Coventry and Warwickshire - promoting their achievements and telling their stories.

• Staging Legends Camps to inspire young talented athletes from the region and their coaches – Coventry & Warwickshire Legends in 2009, British Legends in 2010 and International Legends in 2011.

• Capturing the knowledge and experience of the Legends, by mentoring aspiring talented athletes, coaches and teachers, and by visiting schools / clubs to promote sport opportunities in the region.
   

The official Emblems of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Ltd are © 2007

Carnivals and Festivals of Sport

Celebrating the Olympic and Paralympic spirit in the carnivals and festivals across the region every year up to and including 2012...

• Adopting an Olympic theme for each of the region’s carnivals and festivals, focusing on the culture of the Olympic movement and its multi-national nature.

• Promoting the values of Olympism through school festivals of sport which provide an Olympic and Paralympic expereinces to encourage participation in sport and physical activity.

• Highlighting the new sporting culture in Coventry and Warwickshire by linking Team Coventry and Warwickshire and local sports clubs to offer ‘come and try’ sessions at the region’s carnivals and festivals.

Team Coventry and Warwickshire

Inspiring all young people in Coventry and Warwickshire to be the best they can at sport, and identifying and supporting those with the talent to go all the way to the GB team...

• Establishing academies in Olympic sports with clubs, sports bodies, education and our partner nation(s) – testing and identifying young people with the talent and characteristics to join those academies.

• Supporting young sportsmen and women in Coventry and Warwickshire and their coaches with a package including bursaries, free facility access, Legend mentoring, physiotherapy and sports science.

• Recognising and promoting the achievements of talented young athletes, through building coverage in local media and on the Coventry and Warwickshire 2012 website. 

To view the current young talented athletes which are supported through our CAP Bursary programme please visit: www.cswsport.org.uk

Peace and Reconciliation

Making Coventry Cathedral the focus of London 2012 activity in peace and reconciliation, dovetailing with the Cathedral’s Golden Jubilee in the same year...

• Linking the Cathedral’s Golden Jubilee celebrations with London 2012’s activity to promote peace and reconciliation – becoming the focus for national education programmes in this area.

• Ensuring that the London 2012 Torch Relay visits the Cathedral – recognising the parallels between the Cathedral’s peace and reconciliation mission and the similar objective of the Olympic Movement.

• Staging an annual ‘Peace Cup’ in football – and maybe other Olympic sports – bringing together teams from divided countries / regions, and recognising the power of sport to bridge division and conflict.
   

Stratford to Stratford

Building links between Stratford-on-Avon District (with the rest of the region) and Stratford, East London: the site of the Olympic Park and the global focus for London 2012...

• ShariNg the culture of Shakespeare and the work of the Royal Shakespeare Company with young people in East London, and in return promoting the diversity and vibrancy of London life to the young people of our region. 

• Promoting Stratford-upon-Avon, and the other attractions of the region, through visits from East London schools, and in return offering trips to the Olympic Park to Coventry and Warwickshire schools.

• Linking the sports clubs, schools, businesses, cultural organisations in both areas, so that both can learn from each other, offer exchanges, competitions, partnerships and greater mutual understanding.
   

Africa Inspires

Supporting London 2012’s promise to inspire the youth of the world through the staging of the Olympic and Paralympic Games...

• Building a relationship with an African nation(s) that develops identified sporting outcomes from participation to performance, with the potential for Coventry & Warwickshire hosting representative teams as a training base up to and beyond 2012.

• Forging lasting links with that nation(s) based on the benefits and opportunities presented by cultural, educational and social exchange and the development of a mutual commitment to global peace and reconciliation.

• Using the spirit of the Olympians to explore the potential and power of global partnership in building, regenerating and contributing to the economic well being of local communities in each and all of the respective partner cities.
   

People Dancing

This exciting programme provides the opportunity to bring West Midlands communities together, from all backgrounds and neighbourhoods, to celebrate the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by getting local people moving.

The challenge for this programme is to encourage more people to take up dance and dance related activity so that it becomes part of their lives, resulting in them feeling fit and well in both mind and body and having fun.

People Dancing is aimed at everybody of all ages, backgrounds, skills and abilities. Whether you’re a professional dance organisation, local dance school, sports group combining sport and dance, or a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher or student working in partnership with others, you can get involved … and get more people dancing!    

The deadline for next round of applications is 9 April 2010. For more information visit: www.wmfor2012.com

Organisations and thier projects that have been successful in apply for People Dancing funding in Coventry and Warwickshire are as follows:

Community Games

Launching in 2010, Community Games will see people of all ages and abilities across the West Midlands staging their own sporting and cultural events as part of the region’s celebrations of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Part of the West Midlands’ Cultural Programme for 2012, Community Games will officially launch across the region in early 2010.

As well as a practical toolkit, there will be training for Games leaders and support to help facilitate the staging of these events in the run up to 2012 and we will have developed a range of resources to help communities stage their events, inspired by the ideals of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Community Games is inspired by the annual Wenlock Olympian Games in Shropshire and funded by Legacy Trust UK.

Further information will be available here soon. In the meantime, please visit www.wmfor2012.com or contact culturalolympiadwm@artscouncil.org.uk  

 

London 2012 Inspire Mark

The London 2012 Inspire Mark is an accreditation awarded to projects that have embraced the inspiration of London 2012 and the values of the Olympic movement. Assessed by London 2012 and the International Olympic Committee, the Inspire Mark recognises the very best projects that have no commercial support and inspire change.

Coventry and Warwickshire Inspire Mark Projects:
We already have projects across Coventry and Warwickshire that have been awarded the London 2012 Inspire Mark and from now until the 2012 Games, we aim to have many more. Our current London 2012 Inspire Mark accredited projects are:

Extraordinary Cycles:
Extraordinary Cycles is a ground-breaking partnership project between Hybrid Arts and Coventry Transport Museum which celebrates the marriage of sport and art through exploring and developing the art form of dancing on bikes. For more information visit: www.hybridarts.co.uk

Festival of Sport:
A three year scheme which aims to give children across Coventry the opportunity to experience a variety of Olympic and Paralympic sports and to use London 2012 as a catalyst to increase participation in sport and physical activity to promote a healthier lifestyles. For more information visit the Get Involved section.

Germination:
Germination marks the launch of Imagination Our Nation which is a local, regional and international project that explores contemporary British cultural over five years leading up to 2012 through music, dance, carnival, street arts, circus, theatre and digital arts and has young people from the UK at the heart of it! For more information vist: www.imagineerproductions.co.uk

Knickers and Vests:
Triangle Theatre's Knickers & Vests project will investigate notions of “discipline” in sport and theatre, inspired by memories of Physical Education between 1948 and the late 1980s. For more information visit: www.triangletheatre.co.uk

Museum on the Move:
A mobile museum with an exhibition focusing on Warwickshire's cultural and sporting heroes past, present and future to link in with the Cultural Olympiad and the regions connections to the origins of the modern Olympics. For more information visit: www.herefordshire.gov.uk
 

Boys Dancing:

Warwick Arts Centre is leading this project that aims to provide over 1,000 youngsters from across the region to have participated in dance by the end of the first 12 months with a view to expanding the scheme across the wider West Midlands region by 2012. For more information visit: www.wmfor2012.com

Legends of the Games:

Celebrating the achievements of Coventry and Warwickshire's Olympic and Paralympic athletes who have competed at the Games through our Hall of Fame. Legends are involved in various events to inspire individuals and communities to be the best that they can be. For more information, visit the Get Involved section.

If you are a non-commercial organisation that has inspirational ideas that encourage participation and would like to apply for the Inspire Mark, then please register your project at:
www.london2012.com

The official Emblems of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Ltd are © 2007
 

Inspiring Participation

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to engage everyone in sport and physical activity, changing attitudes, habits and perceptions to encourage everyone to have their own Olympic moment.

For some this could mean making the team in 2012 to represent Team GB, but for many others this could simply mean being the best they can be and taking part in a sporting or physically related activity.

For more information about opportunities to be active in your area please visit: www.coventry.gov.uk

Compete For 2012 Business Contracts

Compete For is the official London 2012 procurement website, set up to enable businesses to apply and bid for 2012 related contracts. London 2012 presents a great opportunity for UK PLC to construct and supply the games with all their procurement needs.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) expect to spend over £8 billion, with an estimated 75,000 procurement contracts available covering direct contractors and their supply chains.

In addition to this, there are many more procurement opportunities as a result of London hosting the 2012 Games and the huge regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley and with the planned East London transport and infrastructure needs.

For Business Support in our region and to find out more about 2012 Business Opportunities in Coventry and Warwickshire through the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Business Link and Advantage West Midlands please visit: www.businesslink.gov.uk

If you are interested in the many thousands of business contracts that are available now as a result of the London 2012 Games then please visit and register with the Official Compete4 Service at: www.competefor.com

London 2012 Torch Relays

The torch relay provides an opportunity for communities across the UK to celebrate the values and ethos of the Olympic movement.

The Olympic torch has become a symbol of the peace unity between the continents of the world and will travel across the UK in build up to 2012. The final leg of the relay will finish in the Olympic Stadium where the torch will be used to light the Olympic Flame which will remain lit for the duration of the London Games.

A draft strategy for the Olympic Torch relay will be published during 2010. The Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership for the 2012 Games has nominated four strategic locations to secure a visit from the Torch Relays, these are:

• Warwick Castle
• Stratford
• Rugby
• Coventry Cathedral

There will also be a Paralympic Torch Relay in 2012 which we will aim to secure visits from. For the latest information regarding the route of the torch relay visit: www.london2012.com

 

Cultural Olympiad

The Cultural Olympiad began on September 26, 2008 and lasts up until the conclusion of the London 2012 Olympiad.

This four year programme of cultural celebration, excellence and participation aims to be an unparalleled festival of the UK’s Cultural life that will inspire young people, celebrate world cultures and set a new standard for culture with future Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Olympiad will include ten, new, major cultural projects on a national scale covering all aspects of arts, culture and heritage from disability arts, film and theatre through to music heritage, and carnival.

For further information please click here about how you can be involved and be part of these inspirational programmes please visit: www.london2012.com

Get Set Education Programme

The London 2012 Education programme aims to capture the imagination of young people around the world. Schools, Colleges, Universities, local communities and other learning providers are all encouraged to share their enthusiasm for learning.

Whether in the class room or playground learn more about the values of the Olympic and Paralympic movement and share experiences with others across the world.

The Get Set programmes provides schools with a range of interactive and downloadable learning resources designed to get pupils learning about the Olympic and Paralympic values.

We aim to have every Coventry and Warwickshire school registered on the London 2012 Get Set education programme.

To register your school to be part of the Get Set programme and to receive all the information and materials please visit: www.getset.london2012.com

 

London 2012 Open Weekend

London 2012 Open Weekend is a now annual UK-wide celebration, marking the yearly count down to the London 2012 Games.

Any art, sport or cultural event can be part of Open Weekend as long as the event has no commercial sponsorship or offer any similar marketing rights.

The events should also reflect the core Olympic and Paralympic Values of friendship, determination, equality, inspiration, courage, excellence and respect.

Thousands of people across the UK enjoyed the chance to do something different, try something new and be inspired by the London 2012 Games, with over 800 events held from around 500 organisations nationwide.

Dates for future years have already been set and are:

2010 - July 23rd – 25th
2011 - July 22nd – 24th

For further information and to register for next years Open Weekend please visit: www.london2012.com

 

London 2012 Volunteering

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games need up to 70,000 volunteers to help welcome the world and make the 2012 games a huge success for athletes, officials, sponsors and spectators alike, giving everyone a friendly, warm welcome and a unique British experience.

To ensure the spirit of volunteering is spread into local communities, we would like as many people as possible from our sub-region to register with London 2012 to be an official games time volunteer.

We will also use the 2012 volunteering opportunity as a catalyst to encourage more people locally to volunteer, which could help support your application to volunteer at the 2012 Games.

For information on how to register to become a 2012 Volunteer please visit: www.london2012.com

To find out more about volunteering in our sub-region please visit the following sites:

V involved volunteering 16 - 25 year olds:
http://v.wayc.org.uk (in Warwickshire and Solihull)
www.vacoventry.org.uk (in Coventry)
www.do-it.org.uk  

Volunteering in Solihull:
www.solihull-sustain.org.uk

For link to CSW Sport Volunteering and sub-regional sport strategy info:
www.cswsport.org.uk

Personal Best 2012 Programme

The Personal Best programme, backed by a government initiative called 2012 Games Inspirations, is offering to train up to 400 people in the West Midlands who are out of work or socially disadvantaged in order to raise their skills and improve their employability.

After gaining new skills, participants will also have a chance to apply to become one of the UK’s 70,000 Games Time London 2012 Volunteers.

Funded by the region’s European Social Fund programme and backed by a partnership including the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) West Midlands, West Midlands Leaders Board, SkillsActive, Advantage West Midlands and Jobcentre Plus, the Personal Best programme primarily targets adults who are out of work and have significant barriers to employment due to a lack of skills.

Participants will be offered an opportunity to train for a Level 1 qualification in event volunteering and, following a successful application, will have a guaranteed interview with the London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), to act as a Games Time Volunteer.

Those completing the course will also have the opportunity to volunteer at local sporting, cultural and community events. The tailor-made course includes a variety of modules ranging from customer service to public safety awareness and understanding what makes an effective volunteer, combined with 30 hours of practical volunteer experience.

In addition, trainees will receive ongoing support and guidance from a team of Personal Best advisers, to improve their chances of getting a job and enhance their interview technique.

The Personal Best programme was launched in the West Midlands on 29 September at Lilleshall National Sports Centre. Further information is available at: www.skillsactive.com/personalbest
 

Team Green Britain

Team Green Britain is an environmental campaign led by London 2012 Sponsor EDF Energy which aims to lead Britain in the fight against climate change, supporting London’s promise to be the Greenest Games ever.

The emphasis is for everyone to do something to make our lives a little greener as the combination of everyone’s efforts will have a much greater impact on the environment in the future.

By joining in you can receive practical support, information and advice about energy saving tactics within your home, travelling tips to make your journeys more economical and techniques to reduce waste and increase recycling.

To find out more information about becoming more environmentally friendly and joining Team Green Britain visit: www.teamgreenbritain.org
 

Children's Promise

To raise awareness of London 2012’s bid, prior to London winning the right to host the 2012 Games, a promise was made to provide every child born in the UK on 20 December (20/12) 2004, the opportunity to play a role in a ceremony or event at the 2012 Games.

Having since won the bid to host the 2012 Games, London 2012 kept their promise and now over 700 babies nationally that were born on 20/12/2004 are eligible for this once in a life time opportunity.

Currently we know of 27 children who are legible for this scheme who are from our sub-region and we are looking to celebrate and build contact with them to profile their child and the role they will be given for the London 2012 Games, in being part of the largest sporting event in the World.

During London’s Olympiad, the birthdays of these children will be marked in a different ways building up to their role in 2012.

If your child was born on the 20/12/2004 and would like to be involved please contact the Coventry and Warwickshire 2012 Partnership on 02476 707431 or visit: www.london2012.com
 

London 2012 competitions

In the build up to London 2012, LOCOG will be running numerous competitions offering opportunities to engage and be part of the 2012 Games.

Entrants into these competitions could win a range of prizes which include London 2012 memorabilia, visits to the Olympic Park and designing elements of official London 2012 logos which could be mass produced across the whole world.

For the latest London 2012 competitions visit: www.london2012.com