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Olympics must overcome obsession with medals and management, Jude Kelly warns Host Cities conference

Monday 3 April 2006

As preparations get underway for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Jude Kelly OBE, Chair of Culture for London 2012, has warned against allowing an obsession with ’medals and management’ distract from the ideals of the Olympic movement.

Kelly joined Sports Minister Richard Caborn, British Paralympics Chief Phil Lane and Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales among the keynote speakers at the Host Cities: Education, Culture and Regeneration conference on 30 March, bringing together key stakeholders working to promote and deliver the London 2012 legacy and leading experts from other host cities around the world.

Over 200 delegates including leading figures in policy and planning, regeneration, further and higher education, the arts, sport and culture took part in the conference, organised by the University of East London (UEL) at the Excel Centre in London’s Docklands, one of the venues for 2012.

Kelly, who will take charge of the four-year cultural festival, said: “This huge festival of humanity mustn’t become so obsessed with event management, medals and sponsorship that it fails to focus on the idealistic and philosophical origins of the movement. The most profound aspect of the Olympics and Paralympics is the power to take each of us on a personal journey, and inspire us to go beyond what we thought we could achieve.”

Sports Minister Richard Caborn said: “The Olympics is a fantastic opportunity to bring regeneration to East London and renewed economic balance to our capital. What we now have at UEL, and other universities around the UK, is some of the best centres for sport and exercise science anywhere in the world. It is very important that our universities continue to make a real contribution.”

Dimitrios Avramopoulos, Greek Health Minister, former Mayor of Athens and founding president of the World Union of Olympic Cities, said: “From my experience as Mayor of Athens and Minister for Tourism, I can tell you that we in Greece worked extremely hard for the 2004 Olympics; we followed our vision, weren’t discouraged by scepticism, and were very happy with the final results. Athens has become a much more functional and attractive city, and its reputation has improved worldwide.

Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham, said: “Politicians love a big stage, but if that’s all the Olympics prove to be, they’ll have been a complete waste of time. Newham has 250,000 people and is the most ethnically diverse area of that size on the planet. It’s also the second youngest area in Europe, but unfortunately has the second highest rate of unemployment in the UK.

“The real challenge of the Olympics is to harness the Games as a means of reducing deprivation in our community, and as a way of inspiring our residents to aim higher. The Games offer an exceptional opportunity to dramatically change our society. If we can’t do it now, when will we ever be able to?”

Phil Lane, Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association, said: “I saw first hand how the Sydney and Athens Paralympics transformed people’s attitudes to disability and hope London 2012 will take this a step further.”

Other speakers at the Host Cities conference included Professor Sir Alan Wilson of the Department for Education and Skills, Dr Louis Lemkow of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and Professor Richard Cashman of Sydney Technology University, whose new book, The Bitter-sweet Awakening: The Legacy of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, was launched at the conference reception.

Professor Michael Thorne, Vice-Chancellor of the University of East London, said: “The challenge is to learn from the experiences of previous host cities, co-ordinate efforts locally and nationally to create the best possible event, and ensure the Games contribute to the social, cultural and economic regeneration of our communities. We are proud to be a part of this process.”

Ends/.

For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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