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Supporting the VCS in East London to make the most of the 2012 Olympics

Between 27th July and 9th September, 2012, London will be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Olympic Park will be the size of Hyde Park, sporting, health care, education and park facilities for East London will be created. An estimated 9,000 residential units will be built with 50% of those promised to be affordable housing. Approximately 7,000 construction jobs and 12,000 jobs on site will be created and 70,000 volunteers will help stage the event.

The Games will have a significant social and economic impact on London, with nowhere feeling the greatest impact than in the heart of East London within the five Olympic host boroughs of Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest increasing Social and Economic benefits.

Volunteering Legacy

With an estimated 70,000 volunteers needed to help stage the Games, various initiatives like the Personal best Programme have been launched to provide potential volunteers with the skills and experience needed to volunteer for the Games, as well as improve their prospects of gaining future employment.

To maximise the sectors involvement in the continuing development of the Games volunteering programme, Greater London Volunteering [GLV] have appointed a 2012 Volunteering Legacy Officer. Hosted by GLV some of the key tasks this worker will undertake include:

Worklessness

Employment rates within the host boroughs are 14% less than the London and England averages respectively, initiatives such as the City Strategy Pathfinder [CSP] have also been launched to tackle worklessness across the host boroughs.

Third Sector Involvement

Advocating on behalf of the sector is the Big Opportunity Steering Group that oversees a project of the same name and project co-ordinator post hosted by London Civic Forum.

In June 2007 the project launched the ‘Big Opportunity’ the offer made on behalf of the VSC to the Olympic delivery agencies and statutory bodies.

Members of the Big Opportunity Steering Group and working with each of the Council for Voluntary Service [CVS] within the host boroughs, the East London CVS Network is working to:

Further reading documents related to the Olympics can be found by clicking on the links below.

The situation is changing rapidly: we will endeavor to keep the sector up-to-date so 'watch this space'

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