I have had many such meetings, including with the mayors or leaders of the five host boroughs last Tuesday, and Ken Livingstone last Thursday. One of the main legacies of the 2012 Games will be to transform the heart of East London with new homes, new public transport, new employment and business opportunities and new spaces to work, live and play in.
The new London 2012 brand, of which the logo is one element, will help the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to raise the £2 billion they need to host and stage the games. Sponsors will buy rights to the brand and it will underpin LOCOG’s merchandising strategy. LOCOG believe that the brand will make an effective and decisive contribution to the full £2 billion budget.
A significant amount of activity is already under way to help local people secure jobs, to help local businesses to compete successfully for Olympic-related contracts and to regenerate East London—one of the most deprived parts of the capital. Jobcentre Plus has already placed 110 local people into jobs on the Olympic site; 3,000 businesses have already registered for information about Olympic-related contract opportunities; and 11 pre-volunteer programme pilots are already giving 450 Londoners the opportunity to develop skills through volunteering. These objectives were central to our bid for the games and are ones which we are wholly committed to achieving.
The London Organising Committee has appointed a course designer, and work is under way to assess the overlay plan for the park, including looking at optimisation of space. The venue was endorsed by the International Federation, the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) which also had a delegation visit the site earlier this year.
Work is ongoing with all stakeholders to ensure the Olympic events do not have a detrimental effect on this unique world heritage site, and that opportunities are maximised to showcase the site and the sport of equestrianism to the world.