A local Liberal Democrat Councillor has used the party’s annual conference in Bournemouth to tackle Olympic chiefs over plans to use the 2012 Games’ to engage with young people in the Borough.
Cann Hall ward councillor Laura Sheppard attended the event alongside other local councillors and party activists from across Waltham Forest who had travelled to the South Coast to hear Nick Clegg’s first conference speech as Liberal Democrat leader.
During a packed question and answer session hosted by Olympian Jonathan Edwards, Cllr Sheppard asked for assurances that, with the 2012 Games now just four years away, opportunities for Waltham Forest youngsters to get involved were being provided.
Members of the panel of leading representatives from the London Games, including Chief Executive of the London 2012 Organising Committee Paul Deighton and Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority John Armitt, highlighted the work that was being done within schools to raise awareness of the Games. However they acknowledged Cllr Sheppard’s concerns regarding their ability to engage with local youngsters who had become harder to reach.
Cllr Sheppard said that the London Games represented a “once in a lifetime opportunity to better the lives of young people in our Borough”.
She added:
“I was pleased that the panel acknowledged the difficulty in reaching some of our younger people and the need to come up with innovative and imaginative ideas to ensure they are engaged.
“Some excellent work has been done to raise awareness of the Games but it is those young people who are outside the traditional means of communication who would be able to gain the most from the benefits the Games will bring to the area.”
Earlier this year local Liberal Democrats unveiled proposals for a Waltham Forest Sports Academy, a plan which would see existing venues able to join together to create a federation of independent, borough-based ‘Centres of Excellence’.
Local Lib Dems believe such a project could see each facility providing affordable specialist training in individual sporting activities whilst also allowing users to study for qualifications such as coaching badges.
Cllr Sheppard said:
“One of the main issues raised by Lib Dem councillors during the debate was the need to ensure that young people benefited directly from a sporting legacy that would help to foster a culture of sporting participation both before and after the Games.
“The creative use of our sporting facilities would help bring residents from all backgrounds together whilst creating opportunities for young people to learn new skills and qualifications as they enjoy their leisure time.”