Olympic Gains - 1

Herefordshire will host a pre-Games training camp

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Herefordshire is not a base for any of the 2012 Olympic events but the council feels the area can benefit from the Games.

Herefordshire Council has teamed up with Worcestershire CC to set up the Raising Our Game partnership to help local private, public and voluntary sector bodies capitalise on all aspects of the UK hosting the games.

Steve Ashton, one of Herefordshire's two 2012 co-ordinators, who work with a range of stakeholders, says: "Basically we are there to help anyone who wants to get involved. We can help them bid for things or put them in touch with groups which can.

"There are so many opportunities out there, whether it is business, sports, tourism or culture-related. But without a co-ordinated approach we will have lots of groups trying to do their own thing and not making the most of it."

It is still early days for the partnership, which was launched in May, but already there are signs that it is paying off.

In conjunction with the West Midlands Business Council , the co-ordinators are helping to support local businesses tender for 2012 contracts. One local firm has already won a sewerage deal, while a host of others are preparing bids for the 7,000 deals already up for grabs in fields such as construction, engineering, merchandising and retail.

Businesses are given help in applying through the tendering website CompeteFor , which publishes information on Olympics contracts and is endorsed by the organisers.

Herefordshire's co-ordinators have also been supporting local heritage and arts groups to help them plan for the launch of the Cultural Olympiad this autumn.

The four-year programme is aimed at giving a boost to the sector with local schemes allowed to apply for an official Olympics 'Inspire' mark, which means they can use 2012 branding to promote themselves.

But as well as business opportunities, increasing participation in sport is a key goal.

The two councils are hoping to use their local Olympic and Paralympic stars to raise the profile of their events as well as hosting a pre-games training camp. And next year will also see the launch of a community games 'toolkit', which will provide local communities with a template of how to run their own mini-games.

Mr Ashton says: "We really want everyone to feel part of it. Just because we are out of London does not mean that we aren't part of the Olympics."

But he says that other councils outside the capital which are looking to follow suit need to hurry. "The games are maybe four years away, but there is already so much happening. You have to start doing this now. It is no good waiting until two years before it all starts."

Find out more

Herefordshire Council Steve Ashton, co-ordinator for the 2012 Games.
Tel: 01432 383 623 or email: sashton1@herefordshire.gov.uk

See also

Promote local sport

Use 2012 to boost local tourism