London's Olympic Legacy
With the London 2012 Games in full swing, here at London Youth we’re all joining the festivities and celebrating the great success of Team GB.
In particular, we must mention Gemma Gibbons from Metro Judo Club, a member of London Youth, who recently won a silver medal at the Olympics. Congratulations Gemma!
Gemma delivered Britain's first Olympic judo medal in 12 years with a silver after she was beaten by American Kayla Harrison in the women's under-78kgs final at ExCeL. She dedicated her silver medal to her late mother Jeanette, the woman who first inspired her to begin training as a child at Blackheath's Metro Judo Club.
But, as our Sports Development Officer, John Jones, puts it:
“we must also remember that just because Team GB is winning lots of medals doesn’t mean that long-term benefits are automatic. We need to invest in infrastructure for youth clubs and community groups [like Metro Judo Club], and we need the government to back that legacy by considering not what we achieved in a few weeks, but what we can go on to achieve in the next ten to 15 years… Youth clubs are the heartbeat for many communities, take a chance and say hello to them.”
To read more about his experience of the Olympic Games, check out the article in the Telegraph online.
John works on London Youth’s sports development programme, Getting Ready for the Games and Beyond, supporting local youth clubs to build a lasting sporting legacy since 2009.
To date…
- 5,525 young people have attended and completed six week sports programmes in Getting Ready sports
- 75 youth clubs have been provided with sports equipment and resource packs
- 619 youth workers and young leaders have gained National Governing Body coaching qualifications
- 84 young leaders have gained paid coaching experience as a result of training they received through Getting Ready, progressing them into sports careers and providing sporting role models in communities right across the capital
One of the young leaders from the programme, Nancy Hammond, 15, from Westminster House Youth Club, even carried the Olympic Torch through Haringey.
Zoe Mellis, our Head of Sports Development said:
“The benefits of community sport in terms of health, reducing crime, developing leadership and so on are well evidenced and we see them every day. The key thing for us now is to keep the momentum up after the Games so that young people will reap those benefits and remember London 2012 forever.”
For further information on how London Youth is creating a sporting legacy, please email Zoe at zoe.mellis@londonyouth.org.uk.
