A golden meadow of wild flowers buzzing with bees and butterflies is already blooming around the Olympic Stadium, two years before the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The riverbank meadow of cornflowers, marigolds, Californian poppies and prairie flowers has been especially designed and sown to flower gold just in time for the Opening Ceremony. It is the first of over ten football fields worth of nectar-rich wild-flower meadows in the Olympic Park, which will provide a colorful setting for the Games and be havens for wildlife for years to come.

International wild-flower experts from the University of Sheffield have designed a range of late flowering annual and perennial meadows for the Olympic Park using a diverse mix of colourful plants. They will be sown later in the planting season and cut back to ensure they are in bloom throughout the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Olympic Delivery Authority Chief Executive David Higgins said: ‘The wild flower meadows, wetlands, woods and lawns in the Olympic Park will provide a green and colourful setting in 2012 and a new great park for people and wildlife after the Games.

‘With two years until the Games, the parklands are already taking shape and the site is going from brown to green with meadows blooming, hundreds of trees and thousands of wetland plants being planted. We are doing everything possible to ensure this is a great park for Games and legacy and a showcase for British park design.’

Nigel Dunnett of the University of Sheffield said: ‘The Olympic Park meadows have been carefully formulated to flower at their peak during the Games, producing exciting, vibrant sheets of uplifting colour, with high biodiversity value. To achieve this peak performance, with a beautiful blend of colours at exactly the right time is no mean feat, and is based on many years of research and practical experience at the University of Sheffield.  We are extremely encouraged and excited by the results from the sowings this year.’

Work is well underway to create around 250 acres of new parklands, on former industrial land, that will provide a colourful and festival atmosphere for the London 2012 Games and afterwards become the largest new urban park in the UK for over a century. Over 500 trees and thousands of wetland plants have been planted and meadows sown around the Olympic Stadium.

Olympic Park meadows

• More than 10 hectares of annual and perennial meadows are being created in the Olympic Park, designed and sown to flower during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• The annual meadows around the Olympic Stadium are a vivid combination of tickseed, cornflower, corn marigold, star of the veldt from South Africa, Californian poppy and plains coreopsis, which moves from yellow and blue in July to gold in August.
• The meadows, which are sown on an annual basis, are being trialed this year and next year to perfect the team’s extensively researched technique of irrigation, late sowing and cutting back that will ensure the flowers peak for the Opening Ceremony in 2012.
• A combination of shorter and taller perennial meadows, which require only a single seeding, are being sown across the Olympic Park , mainly in the north of the parklands, to allow plenty of time for them to establish before the Games.
• The shorter meadows on drier sunny slopes are a colourful mix of thyme, calamint, oringanum, vipers bugloss and wild carrot. The taller meadows on shadier slopes include musk mallow, meadow cranesbill, devils bit scabious, red clover, bloody cranesbill and great burnet.
• The meadows have been designed to be nectar- and pollen-rich, diverse, with a long flowering season to encourage a range of bees, butterflies, birds, moths and other insects. Specific plants and flower species have been selected to encourage particular wildlife, for example the marsh fritillary butterfly need devils bit scabious for its caterpillars and burnet moths congregate around knapweed flowers.
• The meadows are being sown in especially designed low-nutrient soil, with a high sand content, to ensure a diverse mix of flowers and to discourage weeds.
• After the Games the meadows will gradually incorporate a range of grasses, naturally and through oversowing, so they become self-sustaining and support particular butterfly larvae such as meadow brown.

ODA Project Sponsor for Parklands and Public Realm John Hopkins said: ‘Most gardens and flowering plants are past their best in late July and August. These trials show that the challenge of creating colourful and vibrant displays for the Games will be met in an innovative and cost effective way. It is another example of world-leading design and plantsmanship.’

Further features of the Olympic Park green space for people and wildlife during and after the Games:

• 4,000 new 4-7 metre semi-mature trees, with over 500 trees grown in Hampshire already planted including ash, cherry, hazel, white willow, crack willow, alder, aspen, black poplar, Holm oak, English oak, rowan, lime, field maple, sweet gum and silver birch. The trees will provide shelter from wind and sunshine across the Park. Willow, poplar and alder will be planted in river areas to withstand flooding and species vulnerable to climate change have been avoided.
• Wetland bowls and rare wet woodlands in the north of the Park create habitat and help manage floodwater, protecting new housing and venues and 5,000 existing properties from a 1:100 year storm.
• The first of 300,000 wetland plants, grown in Norfolk and Wales, have already been planted as part of the UK’s largest ever urban river and wetland planting. Over 30 species of native reeds, rushes, grasses, sedges, wet wildflowers and irises have been grown initially on the Gower peninsular in Wales, with around a third grown from cuttings and seeds collected from the Olympic Park before construction started. The plants have been grown-on in coir mats sunk in waterbeds in Thetford and are now being transported and planted on the Olympic Park riverbanks.
• Rainwater captured through porous paving will be cleaned through a network of swales, ponds and reedbeds before flowing into the river.
• The London 2012 Garden stretching for half a mile on the Waterworks riverbank between the Aquatics Centre and Olympic Stadium and celebrating centuries of British passion for gardens and plants. It will include picnic lawns, seating, 60,000 plants and 60,000 bulbs from 250 different species.
• A riverside Royal Horticultural Society Great British Garden overlooking the Olympic Stadium, which two amateur gardeners, Rachel Read and Hannah Clegg, have helped to design after their competition entries won a public vote.
• New habitats for species including: otter, kingfisher, grey heron, bee, house sparrow, bat, song thrush, starling, toadflax brocade moth, lizard, black redstart, flower and fungus beetle, frogs, newts and toads, eel, water vole, slow worm, grass snake, linnet, sand martin, swift, and invertebrates.
• Feature planting designed by the Klassnik Corporation, We Made That and Riitta Ikonen – an art collective based in the Host Boroughs – and the University of Sheffield to represent the industrial heritage of the Olympic Park site.
• 250 benches and more than 3,300 seats built into the parklands so that people are never more than 50m walk from a seat.

Webcams enable people to watch the park taking shape first-hand

Further legacy features of the Olympic Park green space:

• The southern part of the Park will focus on retaining the Games spirit, with riverside gardens and areas for markets, events, cafes and bars in legacy.
• The northern area of the Park will use the latest green techniques to manage flood and rainwater while providing quieter public space and habitats for hundreds of existing and rare species from kingfishers to otters.
• Park hubs with play areas.
• A 6m-wide, one mile road cycle circuit built into the parklands around the Velodrome and crossing the River Lea, with lighting for year round and evening use but low level UV values to protect bats. Also 6km of off-road mountain bike tracks and a network of cycle paths across the Park including National Cycle Network Route 1.
• A large oval lawn with an amphitheatre setting in the north of the Park suitable for games, picnics and other leisure activities.
• Four football fields (2.1 hectares) worth of secure and accessible allotments.
• 5km of restored and accessible previously neglected rivers, including the original Carpenters Lock restored in a riverside bowl in the centre of the Park, connecting the northern and southern areas.
• Mounds and hills across the Park for tumbling in summer and sledging in winter.
• Temporary tree-lined daffodil, bluebell, clover and primrose meadows that vary through the seasons created on the development land on the northern entrance to the Park that may not be developed for many years. Rather than traditional construction hoarding which would deter people from using the Park, this unique use of parklands also reduces long-term security costs.
• Hanging gardens’ thirty feet above ground on the huge footbridge from Stratford City with meadows, lawns, shrubs and rows of trees welcoming people over the main walking entrance into the Park.
• A tree-lined ‘park road’ into the north of the Park modeled on The Mall and Birdcage Walk next to St James’s and Hyde Park, with distinctively designed surfacing, lighting and bollards and traffic management so visitors feel like they are in the Park.
• A new regional sports club set in parklands with a tranquil garden square centred on the original Eton Manor Boys’ Club war memorial and lined with Sweet Gum trees which turn red around Remembrance Day.
• Large concourse areas reduced in size in legacy and broken up with ‘islands’ of plants, trees and meadows.
• Parklands around the Aquatics Centre including planted hills with seating providing views across the river to the 2012 Gardens.

London 2012 announces plans to recruit passionate and inspirational volunteers for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games

• Up to 70,000 volunteers to be recruited for the London 2012 Games
• Volunteers to be known as Games Makers
• Pre-identified applicants for specialist roles to apply from 27 July 2010 onwards
• Applications for generalist roles to open on 15 September 2010
• Young Games Maker programme for up to 1,500 under-18 year olds opens in 2011
• McDonald’s announced as Presenting Partner
• Mayor of London’s London Volunteer scheme opens for registration on 27 July 2010

With almost two years to go until the London 2012 Games, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today announces plans to recruit up to 70,000 volunteers for the London 2012 Games.

In the biggest post-war volunteer recruitment campaign in the UK’s history, LOCOG will be looking for dedicated and inspirational people representative of the diversity of London and the UK to apply for a wide variety of volunteer roles.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said: “London 2012 needs brilliant volunteers to help us deliver a great Olympic and Paralympic Games. Our volunteers will be called Games Makers to reflect the important role they will play in staging the 2012 Games. The programme to find our Games Makers will launch on 27 July 2010 and I urge anyone that is interested to come to our website from the day onwards to find out everything they need to know about volunteering in 2012.”

There are two types of Games Maker roles, specialists in areas such as medical services, sport or press operations and generalists, with roles ranging from spectator assistants, uniform distributors and ticket checking.

In addition to these volunteer roles being recruited by LOCOG, the Mayor of London will shortly announce plans for the recruitment of London Volunteers, stationed at key transport hubs, at visitor attractions, and on the streets of the capital to make sure all visitors to London get the best possible welcome during the Games.

With recruitment starting exactly two years before the London 2012 Games, key dates for the application process are:

• 27 July 2010: applications open for pre-identified applicants for specialist sport, press operations, anti-doping and medical roles and members of a wide range of disability specialist organisations. This is also an opportunity for those interested in the generalist roles to find out if they have what it takes to be a Games Maker via a dedicated section on the London 2012 website. Recruitment also starts on this date for the Mayor’s London Volunteers scheme.

• 15 September 2010: applications open to the public for generalist roles and continue for specialist roles.

LOCOG today also confirmed that up to 1,500 of the Games Maker roles will be made available for those under the age of 18 through the ‘Young Games Maker’ programme that will be unveiled in July 2011.

The role of volunteers has been integral throughout Olympic history. London pioneered the use of volunteers in the 1948 Games which saw the first official use of unpaid members of the public to help with the Games.

Worldwide Olympic Partner McDonald’s has been appointed as the Presenting Partner for the Volunteer Programme. McDonald’s will use its expertise in customer service and training and nationwide presence to help attract, select and train the diverse team that will be needed to make the 2012 Games a success.

Steve Easterbrook, Chief Executive of McDonald’s UK, said: “We value our people above everything else in our business and it is our ambition to ensure that the 2012 Games volunteers are also highly valued, recognised and celebrated for their efforts and achievements.  While nothing quite compares to the bustle and excitement of an action-packed Olympic and Paralympic Games, our employees know a fair bit about working in a fast-paced, busy environment – providing quick and consistent customer service to over two million people each day. We are proud to use this experience to help prepare the volunteers for the unique experience of London 2012 that leaves an enduring volunteering legacy for years to come.”

Hugh Robertson, Sport and Olympics Minister, said: “As I have seen in Turin, Beijing, Vancouver and the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, volunteers are the public face of every major sports event, playing a vital role in the spectator and athlete experience.  If London is to be a friendly and successful Games, we will need volunteers of all ages to welcome the world to London and give London 2012 our own distinctive British imprint.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said:”Volunteering for the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, on home soil, is literally a once in a lifetime opportunity.  It is the great people of this country, with their warm welcome and ‘can-do’ attitude, on whom the success of our Games will depend.  So my message is simple: whether you have a specific skill to offer or simply bags of enthusiasm to get stuck in and lend a hand, be it volunteering in one of the fantastic 2012 Games venues or helping us on the streets of our city – your Games need you!”

LOCOG continues to work closely with the Life-Time UK Alliance to ensure the Games Maker programme is supported by the voluntary sector and will help deliver a lasting legacy to volunteering in the UK.

Justin Davis Smith, Chair of the Life-Time UK Alliance and Chief Executive of Volunteering England, said: “The London 2012 Games offer a unique opportunity to showcase all that is great about volunteering in the UK, and to leave a lasting legacy that will benefit the community for years to come. In association with our partners in the Life-Time UK Alliance, we are delighted to be helping LOCOG to maintain the excitement and energy of the Games long after the last medal has been awarded, through an increase in community participation and engagement in volunteering.”

LOCOG is also working closely with the Trade Union movement to ensure that London 2012 maximises the benefits of its volunteering programme.

Brendan Barber General Secretary TUC, said: “Volunteers embody the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games as much as the athletes. A Games-time volunteer experience will be a once in a lifetime opportunity. The TUC is delighted to work with London 2012 to make sure that these Games are great for volunteers, paid workers, competitors and spectators alike.”

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) announced today that four leading UK creatives will form a team of Executive Producers who will oversee the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

The team will be:

• Stephen Daldry, Oscar winning film and theatre director as Executive Producer, Creative
• Mark Fisher, concert, theatre and Beijing 2008 Games designer as Executive Producer, Design
• Hamish Hamilton, Grammy and BAFTA award nominated TV director as Executive Producer, Broadcast
• Catherine Ugwu, Producer for the 15th Asian Games in Doha in 2006, the XVII Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002 as Executive Producer, Production

Danny Boyle, Oscar winning British filmmaker and producer, will be the Artistic Director for the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. An Artistic Director for the Olympic Closing Ceremony and one for the Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be appointed later this year.

Sebastian Coe, LOCOG Chair, said: ‘These Games are bringing together world-class British talent. Each one of these individuals would hold their own on the worldwide stage and they are joining names like children’s author Michael Morpurgo who has created the story behind our highly successful mascots. We are delighted with the team we have brought together to deliver our ceremonies in 2012.’

Danny Boyle said: ‘I’m honoured to have been invited to be the Artistic Director for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. It’s a completely unique opportunity to contribute to what I’m sure are going to be a fantastic Games, I’m really excited to be involved.’

Stephen Daldry said: ‘Myself and my co-executive producers will ensure there is creative continuity across all four ceremonies, that the public have real engagement and that we continue to attract into key roles the best talent in the world. I’m delighted to be part of the team.’

Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, said: ‘The opening and closing ceremonies are the jewels in the crown of any Olympics and Paralympics and are one of the benchmarks against which all Games are judged.

‘I am very pleased that British directors and producers of such outstanding international calibre and acclaim have given their backing to London 2012. With their creativity and expertises on board, I’m sure that London’s showpiece events will make Britain proud.’

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: ‘This is a brilliant team bringing together some of the most imaginative people in the world. The work they have produced over the years has been quite extraordinary, with an impact not just in the UK, but also on the international stage.

‘They exemplify some of the greatest attributes we have – creativity, vision, and intelligence – which will be critical to ensuring shows that are as stunning as they are uniquely British.’

3 Mills Studios, East London’s centre for the creative industries and in the shadow of the Olympic Stadium itself, will be the production centre for the London 2012 Ceremonies Team, and a base from where the Victory Ceremonies and Torch Relays will be produced. The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) is taking over ownership of the studio from the London Development Agency (LDA), with this deal will see LOCOG’s staff from the Culture, Ceremonies, Education and Lives Sites Team moving into offices at 3 Mills Studios in October 2010, and LOCOG expects to have around 450 full time staff plus hundreds of contractors and production volunteers in 2011. The OPLC will assume the obligations of the LDA under the Studio Use Agreement. Normal film, TV and rehearsal activity will continue at 3 Mills Studios at the same time as the Ceremonies team develop and rehearse the London 2012 Ceremonies in part of the 20 acre, 14 stage complex.

Andrew Altman, Chief Executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company said: ’3 Mills Studios is among the hotbed of talent and emerging artists that surround the Olympic Park. The rich cultural heritage of the Studios, combined with its renowned production facilities, make it a natural fit for the creative powerhouse that is the Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies team.

‘Boosting London’s creative and media industries is a significant part of our vision for the Olympic Park. What could be a stronger signal of our commitment than the creation of hundreds of jobs at 3 Mills to produce a series of spectacular shows that will be watched by a world-wide audience of more than a billion.’

From the 1980’s the Studios in Bow East London, has been used as a film, television and West End production site. Notables who have made films here include Wes Anderson, Tim Burton, Mike Leigh, Michael Winterbottom and Danny Boyle. West End Theatre has included the rehearsals for Billy Elliot the Musical and Oliver! The Musical. There is evidence to suggest the original Mills here were listed in the Doomsday Book and date back to the 11th century. Over time the mills have produced flour, gun powder and until the Second World War was used primarily for the production of Gin.

LOCOG has joined forces with FiveCurrents and Unspun in association with Arcadis via their consortium entitled Flow Productions Limited, to create a standalone production company called London 2012 Ceremonies Ltd. This company will produce the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The appointment of FiveCurrents and Unspun and Arcadisfollows an exhaustive procurement process to find a delivery partner able to provide production services for these extraordinary and complex events.

Working alongside the LOCOG appointed Executive Producers and Artistic Directors to realise four innovative and visionary World Class Ceremonies, Flow productions will establish the company and oversee its financial, administrative and procurement processes.

To mark London 2012 Sustainability Week, members of staff from the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), the Delivery Partner and contractors working on the construction of the Olympic Park have been visiting schools and community centres in east London to promote sustainable initiatives and help improve community facilities.

More than 400 schoolchildren in east London have also benefited from talks from members of the ODA this week about sustainability on the Olympic Park site including Normanhurst School in Waltham Forest, St Angela’s School in Newham and Crown Woods School, Greenwich.

The ODA worked with London Fields Primary School in Hackney and Holdbrook Primary School in Broxbourne to set up 10 pocket habitats which will remain at the schools for one year and be moved back into the Olympic Park in 2011 where they will remain during the Games.

In St Helen’s School in Waltham Forest, contractors from the Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Centre visited the school after donating planter boxes, seeds and compost so students can grow their own fruit and vegetables.

Contractors working on various Olympic Park venues and projects have helped community projects, including:

Carpenters Community Centre, Newham – contactors working on  the construction of the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Basketball Arena and the utilities project worked together to paint floors and doors, fix the ceiling of the centre as well as creating an improved outside play area.

Chandos Community Centre, Newham – contractors building the Media Centre, Basketball Arena and the bridges on the Park plus the waste contractor on the Park grouped together to carry out improvements works to the centre’s outside area, including clearing weeds and rubbish and donating compost, seeds and plants.

Dan Epstein, ODA’s Head of Sustainable Development, said: ‘We are cleaning a previously industrial and contaminated area and turning it into a new urban park with brand new sports venues, homes and infrastructure. This huge project is being delivered with sustainable principles at its heart and our contractors have helped raise the bar for future projects.

‘This week, our staff and contractors have given their time, resource and expertise to help local schoolchildren understand how important sustainability is and how we all can play our part.’

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG)  announces that Eurostar has become a tier three sponsor of London 2012, the 30th domestic sponsor.

The high-speed rail company has become Official International Rail Services Provider and will be providing London 2012 with arrival and departure services at St Pancras International for those competing and working at the Games who are travelling to London on its trains. It will also provide international rail services for London 2012’s operational requirements. Outside of its sponsorship with LOCOG, Eurostar will naturally be carrying many spectators from main land Europe to and from the Games in 2012 itself.

The cross-Channel rail operator has also acquired rights in France and Belgium and become a partner of the French and Belgian National Olympic Committees. As part of these deals, the French and Belgian Olympic teams will travel to and from the Games using Eurostar services.

As part of its sponsorship of the London 2012 Games, Eurostar will be conducting a number of activations across the UK, France and Belgium to promote London 2012 as a truly sustainable Games.

The first main Eurostar activation is the Tri-City-Athlon planned for 14 September 2010 which takes places across the three capital cities that Eurostar serves. Over one day participants will do a swim in Paris, a cycle in Brussels and a run in London.

LOCOG Chair Sebastian Coe commented: “We are thrilled that Eurostar has come onboard as a London 2012 partner. They are an iconic brand with a strong emphasis on quality and I know they will ensure that everyone coming to London 2012 by rail, either as a competitor or spectator, has the best travel experience possible from the moment they start their journey.”

Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive of Eurostar, said: “We are proud to be partners with London 2012 and believe we will play a critical role in bringing people from all over Europe. As the high speed rail link between the UK and the continent we will be bringing over a million people to and from the UK during the Games and will help make London 2012 the most sustainable Games possible.

“The Tri-City-Athlon which will take place in Paris, Brussels and London will be a record-breaking way of demonstrating the proximity of the continental capitals we serve and reinforcing the closeness of the UK to Europe. It will be a great challenge for the participants and will be a key milestone in the run-up to 2012.”

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG)  announced more details of its ticketing plans and invited sports fans all over the country to ‘sign up’ and register their interest.

By signing up to www.tickets.london2012.com, people will be able to indicate which sports they are interested in and receive updates on major sporting events, test events and London 2012 developments – plus they will be among the first to find out when tickets go on sale in 2011 and how to apply for them.

In its first major announcement on ticketing, LOCOG today confirmed:

• More tickets will go on sale for the Olympic Games than originally stated – increasing from 7.7m to 8m
• More tickets will also go on sale for the Paralympic Games – increasing from 1.5m to 2m
• 75% of tickets will be available directly to the public via a ballot process
• Tickets will go on sale from spring 2011
• There will be a fair application process through a ballot
• Prestige hospitality tickets will account for less than 1% of tickets on sale
• More information on pricing will be issued later this year
• The ticket ‘sign up’ registration scheme is now open at www.tickets.london2012.com or by calling 0844 847 2012

The ‘sign up’ process will allow the British fans to identify which Olympic and Paralympic sports and events they are interested in and make sure they are in the best position to learn about when tickets go on sale, how to apply for them and what events – including test events – will be taking place between now and 2012.  People can sign up any time between now and when tickets go on sale from spring 2011.  With 10 million tickets for both Olympic Games and Paralympic Games going on sale, signing up now will help the British public save time in 2011 when tickets go on sale and make the process easier.

By issuing more details around the allocation of tickets, LOCOG is reaffirming its commitment to making the Games accessible and affordable. Later this year when the competition schedules and all venues are confirmed, more information around pricing and availability will be released.

LOCOG CEO Paul Deighton explained the approach: “After the success of the Vancouver Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, which saw fantastic atmospheres at venues and around the city, we are now progressing with our plans.  This is our first major announcement on ticketing and we commit to updating again later this year, with more information around pricing. Right now, we’re asking people to sign up on the ticketing website and make sure they’re in the front row for information. Ticket sales make up a significant part of our income, but at the same time we are completely committed to ensuring our events are accessible, that tickets are affordable and that our venues are packed to the rafters with sports fans.’

Tessa Jowell, Olympics Minister, said: “Watching an Olympic event in your home country is a once in a lifetime experience. That’s why it’s critical that as many tickets as possible end up in the hands of the general public. With 10 million tickets going on sale next year people will have even more of a chance to get the ticket that makes their dream come true. It’s great that people have the chance now to sign up for more information about Olympic tickets.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “With less than 900 days to go to the London Games excitement levels are starting to pick up pace and there is understandably huge interest in tickets. Today is another important stepping-stone on the journey to the 2012 Games, confirming that tickets will be on sale in Spring 2011. I want to encourage as many Londoners as possible to sign up for information so that they are kept fully up to date on progress and are poised to purchase tickets once they go on sale.”

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today revealed the designs of the ‘Landmark London’ pin badges which will go on sale later this month. Each of the landmarks has now been re-created into a metal pin badge incorporating the London 2012 logo. (Images of the pin badges can be downloaded here)

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) revealed the designs of the ‘Landmark London’ pin badges which will go on sale later this month. Each of the landmarks has now been re-created into a metal pin badge incorporating the London 2012 logo.

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of LOCOG presented each London Borough Leader with the first pin badge produced for their borough at a London Councils Leaders’ Committee earlier this morning.

In September 2009 LOCOG and London Councils launched the ‘Landmark London’ competition. Londoners were invited to vote for the most iconic landmark in their borough that they would most like to see featured in an individual pin badge. Winning landmarks range from visitor attractions, theatres and museums to windmills, clock towers and bridges.

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of LOCOG, said: “London is a fantastically diverse city and the variety of landmarks chosen by Londoners to represent their local areas highlights this perfectly. These pin badges are a fantastic way to showcase to the UK and the rest of the world what a wonderful city London is and I am delighted to see how proud people are of their city and specific borough. I hope they will wear their pin badges with pride.”

Councillor Merrick Cockell, Chairman of London Councils, said: “With the Winter Games over, the spotlight has truly turned on London. We are delighted to have worked so closely with LOCOG on a project that really demonstrates how important London 2012 will be for the whole capital. We cannot wait to show off our city in 2012, and these badges will be a fantastic introduction to just some of the many delights London has to offer.”

The Landmark London pin badges will be available for wider sale across London in the coming weeks from Runner’s Need, Crest of London, World Duty Free and the Museum of London.

The winning landmarks by borough are:

Barking and Dagenham: The Catch A gateway public artwork for Barking Town Centre reflecting the area’s Saxon heritage and involvement in the fishing industry.

Barnet: The Archer Statue Sculpted by Eric Aumonier and located outside East Finchley tube station, the archer points his arrow to the opening of a 17.3 mile tunnel running all the way to Morden.

Bexley: Hall Place A Grade I listed house built for the Lord Mayor of London during the reign of King Henry VIII, now houses the Bexley Museum Collection, a tourist information centre and riverside tearooms.

Brent: Neasden Mandir Temple Popularly known as ‘Neasden Temple’, The Mandir is a masterpiece of Indian craftsmanship and continues to attract over half a million visitors annually.

Bromley: Crystal Palace Transmitting Station and Park Crystal Palace Park hosted the great exhibition of 1851, showcasing the glasshouse with over a million feet of glass. It is the site of the BBC’s main broadcast tower in London, built in the 1950s. The Athletics Stadium within the grounds hosts international track and field competition.

Camden: St Pancras Station When it opened in 1868, St Pancras’s ironwork train shed was the largest enclosed space in the world. The Grade I listed building has recently been refurbished and is the jewel of the crown of the High Speed 1 railway.

City of London: Tower Bridge Designed by Sir Horace Jones and Sir John Wolfe-Barry, the Bridge was built over the Thames in 1894. It is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world.

City of Westminster: Westminster Abbey Steeped in more than 1000 years of history, it has been the coronation church since 1066.

Croydon: Croydon Clock Tower Built in 1895 as the borough’s Town Hall, it now also houses the Croydon Museum and art galleries, a cinema and library.

Ealing: Ealing Studios One of the great names in British entertainment, Ealing Studios is famous around the world as the home to the great Ealing comedies of the 1940′s and 1950′s. It s the oldest film studio in the world still in production.

Enfield: Forty Hall Forty Hall was built in 1629. This Grade I listed building it provides a link with Enfield’s past while providing the borough with an outstanding venue for many arts and cultural events.

Greenwich: Old Royal Observatory A monument to navigational research, this is the home of Greenwich Mean Time and is famous as the source of the Prime Meridian line, dividing East from West (longitude 0° 0′ 0”). The Observatory galleries unravel time, space and astronomy; the Planetarium lets visitors explore the heavens.

Hackney: Hackney Empire Each Christmas a cosmopolitan, diverse audience visits for sensational shows. International opera companies, famous orchestras, leading touring productions, top comedians and musicians have all appeared.

Hammersmith and Fulham: Hammersmith Bridge Hammersmith Bridge was built in 1887 as a replacement for the original suspension bridge dating from 1827. The present bridge was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette.

Haringey: Alexandra Palace ‘Ally Pally’ finally opened in 1875, two years after it was destroyed by fire. Damaged again by fire in 1980, it now has event halls, a public ice rink and parklands.

Harrow: St Mary’s on the Hill This beautiful church is visible for miles around; it has a history going back 900 years.

Havering: Upminster Windmill This Grade II listed building was built by local farmer James Noakes in 1803. The windmill continued to grind wheat and produce flour until 1934.

Hillingdon: Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Centre Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Centre will have the first new 50m indoor pool in London for 40 years.

Hounslow: Chiswick House Built in the mid-1700′s by Sir Edward Seymour, the house is considered to be the finest surviving example of Palladian architecture in Britain.

Islington: St John’s Gate, Clerkenwell The In the original Tudor Gate House to the Priory’s English headquarters, visitors can see the Priory church and 12th century crypt.

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: Natural History Museum The building was designed in 1865 by Alfred Waterhouse to house Sir Hans Sloane’s extensive collection of natural curiosities.

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames: Telephone Boxes sculpture (London Road) A sculpture by David Mach, commissioned in 1988 for the new relief road, these disused red telephone boxes have been tipped up to lean against one another in an arrangement resembling dominoes.

Lambeth: London Eye At 135 metres, The London Eye is the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel, with 40 kilometre panoramic views on a clear day. It has welcomed over 30 million visitors to date.

Lewisham: Horniman Museum Victorian tea trader Frederick John Horniman began collecting specimens, musical instruments and artefacts from around the world in the 1860s, and the growing collection was moved to a bespoke museum in 1901.

Merton: Wimbledon Centre Court (AELTC) Centre Court has seen a number of changes since its first match in 1877. It is recognisable the world over and recent additions include a fully retractable roof.

Newham: Three Mills Three Mills and its surrounding waterways is a beautiful conservation area for industrial heritage and astonishingly abundant wildlife.

Redbridge: Churchill Statue On Woodford Green stands a statue of Sir Winston Churchill, Britain’s wartime leader who was MP for Wanstead and Woodford for 40 years.

Richmond upon Thames: Richmond Park London’s largest park with 2,500 acres of hills, woodlands, gardens and grassland with stunning views as far as St Paul’s Cathedral.

Southwark: Globe Theatre Performances and an education programme combine to create an international resource dedicated to the exploration of Shakespeare’s work and the playhouse for which he wrote.

Sutton: Honeywood Museum Located by Carshalton Ponds, Honeywood dates from the 17th century.

Tower Hamlets: Tower of London Founded by William the Conqueror in 1066-7, this is one of the world’s most famous fortresses, and one of Britain’s most visited historic sites.

Waltham Forest: Waltham Forest Town Hall The centrepiece of the impressive 1930s Civic Centre complex by P.D. Hepworth, completed during the early years of World War II.

Wandsworth: Battersea Power Station A Grade II listed building built in 1939. It was the first in a series of generators set up as part of the National Grid power distribution system, standardising the supply of electricity in England.

The team behind London 2012’s sports participation programme ‘International Inspiration’, Sebastian Coe (London 2012 Chair), Tessa Jowell (Olympics Minister) and Keith Mills (London 2012 Vice-Chair & Chair of International Inspiration Foundation), have moved to guarantee a long term global legacy for the first global sports participation programme ever delivered by an Organising Committee.

The London 2012 chiefs have met with President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and President of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee Carlos Arthur Nuzman at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games to discuss an extension of the programme through to the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio.

Following a presentation to encourage further participation from Olympic Family countries and investment from Olympic sponsors in the current programme, Coe, Jowell and Mills confirmed that they have begun discussions for the highly successful initiative to extend beyond the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This follows discussions at Government level lead by Olympics minister Tessa Jowell. Brazil is already part of the International Inspiration programme as one of the first countries to join the initiative, where over 450,000 children and young people have now engaged in sports projects within their schools and communities as a result of International Inspiration.

International Inspiration was developed as a result of the commitment made by the London 2012 bid to ‘reach young people all around the world and connect them to the inspirational power of the Games so they are inspired to chose sport’. With support from ambassadors including David Beckham, Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Denise Lewis and Colin Jackson, it is intended that the programme will enrich the lives of 12 million children across 20 countries by 2012 through the power of high quality and inclusive physical education, sport and play.

The programme has been running since 2007 and has already enriched the lives of 3.5 million young people in 12 countries, with full programmes in Azerbaijan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Jordan, India, Mozambique, Palau, Trinidad and Tobago and Zambia, and work now beginning in South Africa, Malaysia and Nigeria.

A filmed message of support from International Inspiration ambassador David Beckham shown to IOC members and Olympic sponsors highlighted that “We have an opportunity to change young lives through sport. Inspired by the Olympics, this programme will provide millions of children with the opportunity to participate in a sport and learn how to stay safe, how to play, how to keep healthy and in some cases, how to stay alive. We want every child to have that opportunity.”

Seb Coe, London 2012 Chair, said: “The international Inspiration programme is really the cornerstone of what London 2012 stands for – the vision to inspire young people, and our ambition to be the Games for Everyone.

“We’re here to encourage nations from around the world to take this opportunity to be part of a unique Olympic programme that will leave a truly global legacy. We ask for their support in helping us achieve our target of reaching 12 million children in 20 countries. For Carlos Arthur Nuzman to tell us that Rio 2016 would like to explore extending this initiative beyond 2012 is a major boost for us and the programme.”

Tessa Jowell, Olympics Minister, said: “International Inspiration is honouring the Singapore promise to change lives through sport. I’m delighted that there is now a real possibility it will become a lasting legacy since I secured agreement from the Rio bid team and Government that they will continue to support it. In addition to the sustained support of Government I hope that sponsors will see the opportunity to realise through International Inspiration the lasting change that the Olympic and Paralympic Games can deliver.”

Mr Nuzman, President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and President of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee, said: “Brazil has 65 million youth under 18 years old. Across South America that number rises to 180 million. Extending International Inspiration to boys and girls from the State of Rio is only natural because the programme’s core ideas are aligned with our vision for Rio 2016, which includes transforming the lives of youth through sport, fostering values of friendship, excellence and respect.”

Keith Mills, London 2012 Vice-Chair & Chair of International Inspiration Foundation, said: “International Inspiration is a truly global programme, and provides an important opportunity for Olympic TOP partners to make a difference to the lives of millions of children.

“The Olympic TOP Partners are integral in making Olympic Games what they are today and we urge them to get involved. This programme, where it is and where it is going, will enrich and change lives across the world by linking sport with education and individual and community development.”

Sebastian Coe and Keith Mills have been joined in Vancouver by Inspirational Inspiration participants Di Andra Joseph and Mikyle Chaitsingh from East Mucurapo School in Trinidad & Tobago, who met with British Winter Olympic athlete Ellie Koyander at GE Plaza in Robson Square, Vancouver

International Inspiration is governed by an independent charitable foundation – the II Foundation – and is a unique partnership of public and private organisations. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has joined forces with the programme’s key delivery partners, UK Sport, UNICEF UK and the British Council, to bring International Inspiration to fruition as a core strand of the London 2012 international education programme. Other partners and funders of International Inspiration include the Department for Culture Media and Sport, Department for International Development, the Premier League, the British Olympic Association, the British Paralympic Association and the Youth Sport Trust.

International Inspiration has been supported and welcomed by the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee as an international legacy programme for London 2012. Throughout the development and implementation of International Inspiration the IOC has given significant support and the programme reflects the IOC’s commitment to international sport and youth development through established programmes such as Sport For All, and the inaugural Youth Olympic Games which will be staged in Singapore later this year.

The design of the Olympic Park has been praised for its inclusivity and accessibility, and highlighted as potentially changing the way future developments are designed.

The Olympic Delivery Authority’s ‘Inclusive Design Strategy’ was recognised at the Royal Town Planning Institute’s (RTPI) ‘Award for Equality and Diversity’ at an awards ceremony in London last week.

The judges’ comments stated: ‘The Olympic Delivery Authority has turned traditional design principles on their heads. By taking a holistic view of people’s needs, it is using the power of the Games to change the way that people think about designing places… There is a strong indication that these principles will influence future sports facilities design.’

The ODA published its ‘Inclusive Design Strategy‘ in September 2008, which set out the framework for how the Olympic Park will become the most accessible and inclusive in London. Practical examples include:

• wider pathways with smooth surfaces and seating and resting places at regular intervals;
• setting a new UK benchmark for wheelchair spaces and amenity seating;
• gentle gradients giving all users greater freedom of movement;
• clear and easily understood signage;
• excellent provision of baby changing facilities and buggy stores; and
• a range of accessible toilet facilities.

ODA Head of Design Jerome Frost said: ‘We want to ensure that people of all cultures, faiths and ages and disabled people find the Olympic Park welcoming and easy to use in 2012.

‘Inclusive and accessible design principles have always been at the heart of our plans and we have embedded them into the ODA’s procurement, design and construction processes. An integrated approach across all buildings, open spaces, parklands, infrastructure and public transport means that we will be able to go further than any previous Olympic Park.

‘After the Games, the most accessible sporting venues in London and an inclusive public park and will be left for the local community. Aside from the physical legacy, we hope we can set a precedent for the industry and future developments will meet the same high inclusivity standards.’

A new bridge has been lifted into place at Eton College Rowing Centre, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced today, keeping plans on track for enhanced Rowing and Canoe Sprint facilities for the London 2012 Games. The new bridge provides increased access to the finish line area of the venue and improved areas for athlete warm-up.

Construction work is well underway to enhance the venue’s existing facilities to provide improved facilities for athlete warm-up and Canoe Sprint events during the London 2012 Games. A key part of the enhancement works has now been completed with work to widen the entrance to the return lane finished and a new 50m bridge lifted into place.

ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: ‘Eton College Rowing Centre is a first-class venue and the enhancements we are delivering will create the best possible facilities for the world’s best athletes to use in 2012. Lifting a new bridge into the finish line area completes a key part of the enhancement works and keeps us on track to deliver improved facilities well before the Games begin in 2012.’

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: ‘Dorney Lake is already a superb facility which will be further enhanced by this work. The widening of the return lane offers improved areas for athletes’ boats during warm up and cool down between races and the new bridge provides increased access to the finish line area which will be the centre of attention during the Games. This is a world class venue and it is exciting to see the enhanced facilities take shape.’

Construction work on the enhanced facilities at the Eton College Rowing Centre began in September last year, starting with the demolition and removal of the venue’s original finish line area bridge and groundworks to widen the entrance to the return lane. With the widened entrance in place, the new 50m-span bridge, weighing 250 tonnes, has now been lifted into place using a 1200-tonne crane.

Further enhancement works are continuing on site, including the construction of a cut-through between the competition lake and the return lane with a new bridge over the cut-through, and the upgrade of the existing gravel/stone access road up to the competition venue for use during the Games. The Eton Dorney enhancement works are expected to be complete in spring 2010.