Already planning for London 2012

Last updated 11:34, Wednesday, 20 August 2008

With the end of the Beijing Olympics approaching, the countdown to London 2012 has begun.

With such a wonderful opportunity to inspire youngsters to get involved in sport, Cumbria Sport Partnership and the Youth Sport Trust are focussing on how the raised profile and interest can be used to “turbo-charge” its work with schools, colleges and young people.

YST has identified a number of priorities upon which to focus its London 2012 related work.

They include helping schools use the Olympic and Paralympic ideals to raise whole school standards and the further development of work around the gifted and talented provision and support for young people.

Some areas of work have emerged as a direct result of the successful Olympic and Paralympic bid, such as the UK School Games, the biggest multi-sport event for the UK’s elite young athletes; the Young Ambassador programmes and the International Inspirations programme.

Others have yet to evolve and be developed in response to the inspiration and excitement that London 2012 will bring.

YST and Sport England are also working closely with key partners such as the British Olympic Association, British Paralympic Association and government departments to help them develop their legacy and education programmes in the context of the school sport infrastructure.

For children who want to get more directly involved in the games, there are sports recruiting fresh new talent, and if you’re aged 11-16 a national campaign looking for potential champions will be coming to a club or school near you soon.

The Olympic Handover Ceremonies take place on August 24 and September 17. These events officially mark the start of the London 2012 Olympiad and are the first opportunity to invite the world to the UK for the Games.

The Paralympic Handover on September 17 is a fantastic opportunity for children and young people to lead celebrations in schools and other education institutions across the UK.

Following the Paralympic Handover, London 2012 will launch its domestic education programme providing young people with further opportunities to get involved.

Further information on London 2012 will be available at www.london2012.com/get-involved/education over the coming months.