London 2012 Aquatics Centre
With London 2012 nearly here, you’re going to see a lot of the Olympic Park and its amazing venues in the weeks ahead. So each day in the run-up to the Opening Ceremony, we’re finding out how each venue will be used after the Games. Today, it’s the Aquatics Centre.
With its striking wave-shaped roof, the Aquatics Centre is poised to one of the most visually impressive venues during the London 2012.
After the Games, it will have the temporary ‘wings’ dismantled and will become a flagship swimming centre for clubs, schools, athletes and the general public.
Fittingly, some of the first people to swim in the centre were 300 young people from the six local ‘host’ boroughs in the annual six Host Borough Swimming Championship in March.
Check out our unique timelapse footage of the venue being built.
Gloucester Sports Club back on track
A group of volunteers is giving a flood-stricken athletics club a new future with money inspired by the Games.
Gloucester City Council has secured £100,000 of Olympic legacy funding from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Fund to bring Blackbridge Athletics Track back into full use for its local community and existing clubs.
Damaged by flooding in 2007, its current facilities have deteriorated to such an extent it has lost its competition license and specific restrictions have been placed on activities due to health and safety concerns.
Work taking place this summer will include widening the track, installing floodlights so people and refurbishing the clubhouse. The club will then be taken over by the newly formed Gloucester Athletics Track Management, a company made up of volunteers who will run the site for the local community.
The Inspired Facilities fund is part of the £135 million Places People Play legacy programme that is bringing the magic of a home Olympic and Paralympic Games into communities across the country.
Peter Paine sport centre comes of age in Lincolnshire
A dilapidated sports centre in Lincolnshire has been revived thanks to an injection of Olympic legacy funding. Boston College secured £100,000 from Inspired Facilities, to provide a new dance studio, gym and changing rooms at the Peter Paine Sports Centre.
The project will help increase sporting opportunities for both the community and students. “The Peter Paine Centre is a valuable asset to Boston town, but has sadly become a rundown building, said Boston College’s Janet Hemmant. “We are able to renew the facilities for the benefit of Boston College Learners and the Community.”
The Inspired Facilities fund is part of the £135 million Places People Play legacy programme that is bringing the magic of a home Olympic and Paralympic Games into communities across the country.
Some wheely great news for Kent cyclists
A disused section of road in Kent has been transformed into Europe’s largest Cyclopark thanks to over £1 million from an Olympic legacy fund. The A2 Cyclopark is the latest Iconic Facility to be funded by Sport England as part of its Places People Play programme
Sport England’s Chief Executive Jennie Price said: “From learning to ride a bike in a traffic-free environment to developing new tricks, skills and talents – the facilities in this park will help people in the South East create sporting habits for life.”
The circuit includes a national standard BMX racetrack, mountain bike trails, and a skate park designed by local skaters. It forms part of a £30 million programme investing in major sports and leisure centres around the UK.
