ASA AND UEL UNVEIL LONDON 2012 LEGACY PLANS
A pioneering legacy partnership between the Amateur Swimming
Association, British Swimming and the University of East London
has been announced to ensure aquatics and related health,
education, skills and employment benefits from the London
2012 Olympic Games are maximised.
The groundbreaking agreement will see partners working closely
with key stakeholders of the London Aquatic Centre Steering
Group to make the Olympic facility at Stratford the centre
for workforce development within the industry and to become
recognised as a world leader in this field.
The announcement was made at the University's Docklands Campus
where ASA/British Swimming Chief Executive David Sparkes and
UEL Vice-Chancellor Professor Martin Everett formally signed
a Memorandum of Understanding.
Its aim will be to develop the workforce in the aquatics
industry by providing them with the skills necessary and in
doing so leave a lasting legacy from the 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic Games.
"Without doubt, the greatest legacy we can receive from
the 2012 Olympics is to reinvigorate the aquatic workforce
through a new training programme based around the UK Coaching
Certificate framework British Swimming has put in place,"
explained Sparkes.
"This memorandum sets out our commitment with the University
of East London, potentially within the Olympic venue, to develop
a university for aquatics which can train the swimming teachers,
coaches and technical officials of tomorrow while providing
volunteers with the skills they need for the 21st century."
The vision shared by the partnership is to have London as
the focal point of a national programme of education within
the aquatics industry.
"London will be at the centre of a network of facilities
that will stretch across the country," added Sparkes.
"We'll drive the skill level of the aquatics workforce
to enormous heights and this is a project we're very excited
about.
"It's an understanding that has massive benefits for
all concerned and we believe it's a great opportunity to give
the Olympic venue a massive legacy role for aquatics long
after the Games have ended."
The agreement will be underpinned by strong collaborative
links from a range of partners and, importantly, will be supported
by the industry in order that change in the community can
be driven through the sport of swimming.
In addition, the partnership will work towards the Aquatic
Centre becoming part of British Swimming's performance network,
will be regarded as a world leader in cutting edge aquatic
research and will also carry the ability to host quality events
at world level.
Commenting on the signing of the memorandum Professor Martin
Everett, Vice-Chancellor of the University of East London,
said: "The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games offer
an historic, once in a lifetime opportunity to create long-term
legacy benefits for London and the UK.
"Swimming and aquatics provide public health benefits
for people from a range of backgrounds. The challenge for
all of us involved is to learn the lessons of previous Games,
and develop effective partnerships to ensure we can deliver
the best possible legacy for our communities."
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