The Benefits of the London 2012 Olympic games
On the 6th of July 2005 when London won their bid to host the 2012 Olympic games, the country was prospering, Labour was in power and the recession was something that had happened in the early nineties. Since then things have changed. The country is now being run by a coalition government, is in the middle of one of the greatest repressions that Britain has ever seen and many local council and government schemes have been majorly impacted by funding cuts. So it’s understandable that questions have been raised about how exactly hosting the 2012 Olympic Games will benefit the UK.
However on the other side of the fence, others see the fact that London has been given the chance to host the world’s largest sporting event as a positive and 2012 will be a year of positive change on a huge scale. One of the first positive changes that have been noticed is the urban regenerations projects that have taken across the UK. The Lower Lea Valley in East London has been one of the most important and biggest projects that have ever been undertaken in the UK. The development of the Olympic park is believed to have brought about 4,300 new homes to the area, 190,000 square metres of new refurbished green open space, £ 1.3 billion of private investment, 160,000 square metres of commercial space and 2,900 new jobs. Improvements have been made to the quality of water, soil and air in the area along with a drive to conserve the local biodiversity. With unemployment levels at an all time low in the UK, the Olympics will see and increase in jobs available within the UK. There will be a need for an employment increase in many sectors such as construction and services, hospitality and catering, retail and merchandising and manufacturing to name but a few.
London has seen an increased number of improvements in the city’s transport structure. Millions of pounds have been poured in to the transport structure which will help improve the lives of many Londoners and visitors for years to come. Lines such as the Northern, Jubilee and Circle have seen vast improvements along with improved routes to East London and the Olympic village. Transport on the River Thames has been extended and walking and cycling routes within the city have been better promoted.
Ten thousand people are coming to Great Britain and that’s just counting those who are completing in the twenty eight sports. The Olympic events will have a tremendous effect on tourism in Great Britain. The games will help boost London as one of the most popular visited cities in the world and help increase jobs and revenue within the tourism industry.
The fact that London is hosting such a large sporting event will give the government scope to boost schemes and initiatives throughout the country to encourage excitement and passion around sport. The games should encourage and educate more participants from all communities to engage in sporting activities, which in turn may increase fitness standards and awareness of healthy living choices which could help demands on the health care system. The games will offer learning opportunities across the country and allow the public to develop new skills.
Not only are the Olympics being promoted as a sporting event, but it is also one of the biggest cultural events to ever take place in the UK. This will help boost creative industries all over the country. The cultural Olympiad will take place all over the UK celebrating and encouraging people to take part in art, film, literature, museums, music, theatre and dance. There are also large scale music festivals and dance competitions taking place within the capital.
The 2012 Olympic Games is not just adding to our nation’s sporting heritage but it is also enriching our communities, boosting our economy and celebrating the diversity of our country.
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