London 2012 – Coming Soon
To Every Part Of The Country
16th July 2006
It may only be 2006 but Yorkshire and Humber is already counting down to 2012 - with a little over 2,000 days to go to the biggest sporting event ever to be staged in Britain.
And in less than a weeks time the excitement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be captured when a special UK-wide travelling Roadshow crosses the region on 18th & 19th July.
The 2012 message is being taken to every corner of the UK, with the Roadshow bus visiting towns and cities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in a 3,000 mile odyssey that begins on 6 July, the first anniversary of London’s dramatic success in Singapore last year.
More than 50 locations will be visited by the bus, which will carry top names from London 2012, the Government and sport – bringing with them the latest news on progress in the last 12 months and future plans.
The specially-branded bus – bearing images of some of the country’s most famous Olympians and internationally-known locations – will be waved off in Trafalgar Square in London, where crowds gathered for the result of the 2012 vote last summer.
Its journey will end in Liverpool three weeks later, exactly six years before the Opening Ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, Sports Minister Richard Caborn and David Higgins, Chief Executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority will be just some of the big names coming to the region.
The Roadshow bus will stop at:
• Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield
• Leeds Town Hall and Millennium Square, Leeds
• The Deep, Hull
Across the country the Roadshow will call in at a wide variety of locations, including major cities, 2012 venues and sporting events.
It will inform local people about preparations for 2012, what the Games can mean for them and how they can get involved.
The Roadshow’s programme across the UK will include events to remind businesses about the economic opportunities presented by the Games
The Roadshow will also reinforce the message that the UK will be hosting two great events, the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.
In addition there will be a strong focus on tourism benefits, the Cultural Olympiad from 2008 to 2012, volunteering and diversity.
Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell is one of those taking part in the Roadshow. She said:
“2012 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we have got to make sure everyone can see the benefits and feel part of this extraordinary event.”
And Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, said:
“We hope this Roadshow will help people to appreciate just how inspirational the Games can be and the relevance they can have for them and their local communities.”
As part of the Roadshow, Tessa Jowell will be hosting an economic benefits conference in Leeds on 19 July, which business leaders from the UK will be attending. This will explore the wider economic benefits for the whole country from the 2012 Games.
There will be extensive media and interview opportunities on the day. Contact details are attached.
On 20th July the Roadshow continues its journey, travelling through the North East.