Martin Havenhand Appointed As Executive Chair Of
Yorkshire 2012
2nd May 2006
Martin Havenhand has today been appointed to chair the Yorkshire Committee for the 2012 Games. The former Chief Executive of Yorkshire Forward will lead the regional steering group for the Games which aims to maximise the benefits of the London 2012 Olympics to the region.
The Committee’s members include Yorkshire Culture, Yorkshire Forward, Yorkshire Tourist Board, Sport England Yorkshire and the five key cities of the Yorkshire and Humber region - Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Hull and York. Martin will also represent the region on the LOCOG (London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games) Nations and Regions group.
Commenting on his appointment, which will commence on the May 1st, Mr Havenhand said “I am delighted to have been given the chance to spearhead Yorkshire’s support for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, this is a great region with fantastic cultural facilities and a proud sporting tradition. Yorkshire’s support can be hugely beneficial to the London 2012 Games and the region can also massively benefit from the wide ranging economic, social and cultural benefits of the Games.”
Clive Leach CBE, Chair of Yorkshire Culture who will head up the team supporting Mr Havenhand in his role “It is great news for Yorkshire to have someone of Martin’s ability on board, his experience and enthusiasm will be invaluable to the region in terms of securing a lasting legacy from the Games.”
Research has demonstrated that the Yorkshire and Humber region’s business community could benefit to the tune of £600million* from a combination of construction, manufacturing, service sector and tourism services required for the Games. In his recent visit to the region Lord Coe, Chair of LOCOG, reinforced the region’s strong position stating "You are ahead of the game here. Yorkshire was the only area to have completed an audit of facilities before the vote on staging 2012 was taken last summer in Singapore. This region has a strong economy in manufacturing and service industries, and there will be thousands of contracts to be won across a whole range of business opportunities." An audit of the sporting infrastructure and training facilities** in the region carried out last year stated that Yorkshire and Humber could already meet the needs of world class athletes in almost 75% of the 38 Olympic disciplines, and 80% of the 20 Paralympic disciplines.
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