Fitness health centre

2012 Olympics health benefits

27th July 2011 - In a year's time the eyes of the world will be on East London for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games.  

Alongside constructing venues and hosting a world class sporting event, the Government is also hoping the Games will inspire people to take up sport and physical activity and develop active, healthy lifestyles.

Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and Olympics told us by e-mail: "Increasing participation is one of my top priorities, using London 2012 as a catalyst. However, I don’t underestimate the scale of the challenge. No other host country in the world has set out to drive up participation in the way we are off the back of hosting the Games. I am confident that we can succeed."  

A Viewpoint by a group of public health experts, published in The Lancet, has looked into how the long term health and socioeconomic effects of the games can be measured. This states that evidence of the health benefits of previous Games is sparse. One reason is that a comprehensive public health legacy has never been explicitly planned - until now.

Catalyst to health

Initially there was talk of free swimming for all by the end of 2012, but since the games were awarded to London there's been a change of government and an economic downturn.

A programme of free swimming for those aged 16 and under and over 60 was introduced in 2009, but was ended last summer for not delivering value for money. At the time Hugh Robertson, said in a press statement: "This is not a decision that gives me any pleasure, however the research shows that the great majority of free swimmers were swimming already, and would have paid to swim anyway."

However, other initiatives are underway. The minister says via e-mail: "With the backdrop of a tough economic climate, myself and Jeremy Hunt [Secretary of State for Culture, Media, Olympics and Sport] fought hard for sport in the comprehensive spending review last year. Sport got a good deal and as a result there are many initiatives in communities up and down the country encouraging people to get involved in sport. The Places People Play programme, run by our sports body Sport England is one great example."

Announced last November, this programme aims to transform the places where people play sport by:

• Upgrading up to a thousand local sports clubs and facilities
• Protecting and improving hundreds of playing fields across the country
• Recruiting, training and deploying 40,000 Sport Makers as the next generation of sports volunteers to organise and lead grassroots sporting activities

'Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'

Sport England’s Chair, Richard Lewis, said in an e-mailed statement: "London 2012 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for grassroots sport and we are committed to delivering a lasting mass participation legacy from the Games.  

"Through our legacy programme, Places People Play, we are investing £135 million of National Lottery funding into improving facilities and helping people to get involved in sport as participants and volunteers. We can’t all be Olympians or Paralympians, but with great local facilities, inspirational sports volunteers on the ground and sporting challenges to suit everyone, we can all be part of the mass participation legacy of the Games."

Sport England's Chief Executive, Jennie Price, said in a media release: "We want people all over the country to be able to look back on 2012 as the year when their local sports facilities got better, as well as the year the Games came to London."

In October 2010 the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) announced that schools, universities, sports clubs and leisure centres in London and elsewhere in the UK would benefit from a £10m investment in facilities to be used by athletes during the London 2012 Games. The facilities will then be available for use by the local community after the Games.

Sport England has also introduced Sportivate, a nationwide campaign which started last month. This programme gives 14- to 25-year-olds the chance to receive six to eight weeks of coaching in a sport of their choice. This not only includes traditional sports such as football and tennis, but also sports such as fencing, mountaineering, in-line skating and softball. Some sports sessions are free, for others there is a minimal charge. This initiative is already said by Sport England to be on track to achieve its year one target of reaching 60,000 teenagers and young adults.

Zoë Smith became the youngest ever weightlifting Commonwealth medallist when she won bronze at the 2010 Delhi Games at the age of 16. Zoë, who now has her sights set on competing at London 2012, said in a press release: "Getting the chance to get out and try a new sport is fantastic. I didn’t take up my sport until I was 12, so it just shows if you’re up for some fun and trying something new, you can find a sport you really want to stick with."

Has any of this inspired the Minister to take up a new sport? Hugh Robertson says: "Being the Minister for Sport and the Olympics it leaves little spare time for me to fit in playing sport on a regular basis. But I’ve enjoyed playing sport all my life and play cricket and hockey as often as I can. London 2012 will not only be about individual sports men and women being able to shine, but also giving the chance for other less known sports the opportunity to be in the spotlight. I’m confident that these sports realise this and will do everything to capitalise on the added interest and get more people to play, including myself."