Bringing you

Creating a Zone of Sporting ExcellenceLee Valley Legacy Update ReportWinter 2012/13

Zone of Sporting Excellence

Foreword The whole nation can be proud of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which gave us a fantastic summer of sport and also showed Great Britain at its best.

This immense achievement has made all of us at Lee Valley Regional Park Authority even more determined to ensure that we deliver an enduring legacy for the whole nation.

Much of this work is, of course, focused on our three London 2012 venues: Lee Valley VeloPark, with the iconic Velodrome at its heart, Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, both on Olympic Park and Lee Valley White Water Centre at Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, which is already open to the public.

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Major transformation work is currently taking place at each of these venues, and in the meantime, we are busy implementing our vision for legacy so that we can ensure that everyone benefits from them.

This document will remind you of our vision for venues that are community focused and commercially driven, update you on our progress so far and set out some of our more detailed plans for the future.

The Authority already has substantial experience of owning and running successful sports venues, along with managing a 10,000 acre park. Our London 2012 venues will become part of this zone of sporting excellence to create a truly world class visitor destination bringing together the best of nature, sport and discovery.

We are working closely with the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and all the other organisations involved in the creation of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to ensure that our venues and parklands are fully integrated and deliver wide ranging, long-term economic, social and sporting benefits. Our 2012 venues will make a positive contribution to peoples lives by creating jobs, providing them with training while also giving them a chance to lead healthier lifestyles.

We can be confident in our vision and approach because we have already seen fantastic results at Lee Valley White Water Centre – now well into its second year of operation. In April 2011, the Authority opened the centre, making it the first and only brand new London 2012 venue to open to the public before the Games. On 8 September 2012, just weeks after Team GB secured gold and silver there, the Authority reopened the centre, making it the first London 2012 to open its doors to the public post-Games.

Following the huge success of its initial year, where it exceeded its income targets, the centre will now undergo another £4.5 million of investment to further establish it as a national asset for participants of all abilities, from beginners to elite athletes.

Lee Valley White Water Centre is the blueprint for how we will run all of our London 2012 venues. Our involvement in the centre, from inception to design to operation shows what can be achieved when legacy is factored in from the outset.

With this in mind, we have been working with National Governing Bodies, representatives of the local communities and sports clubs as well as public and private sector partners to establish all our 2012 venues as valued, viable assets for the region and the nation.

The Games provided us with great joy and unforgettable moments. Now our attention must turn to the future so that the success of London 2012 is mirrored by the success of its legacy.

Shaun Dawson Chief Executive Lee Valley Regional Park Authority

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Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis centre

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Community focused Commercially drivenA number of sponsorship, naming rights and other commercial opportunities for Lee Valley White Water Centre are currently being explored by the Authority. These will help generate income which will be reinvested to support community programmes and events.

At the same time, programmes designed to increase participation in paddle sports are also being launched. These include:

• Coaching sessions for novice paddlers for as little as £5 per person

• White water rafting for schools at a discounted rate

• Social inclusion projects aimed at vulnerable youngsters. The first of these was launched on Halloween night 2012 in conjunction with social housing charity B3 Living and Broxbourne Council where youngsters living around the centre

took part in kayaking and other paddle sports with a Halloween theme

• Programmes run in partnership with the BCu for disabled paddlers. These will commence in early 2013 with disabled paddling clubs also established at the centre.

Lee Valley White Water Centre Legacy and beyondin February 2013, £4.5 million of development work will begin at Lee Valley White Water Centre to create improved visitor amenities and world class facilities to further establish it as a sporting and community venue that reaches out to all abilities. The development project will be completed by mid 2013, with the centre remaining open to the public throughout and includes:

• First class facilities for athletes with a state of the art gym and physiotherapy suite housed in an extension to the existing pavilion. This extension will also include meeting rooms and offices for the British Canoe Union (BCU), the sport’s National Governing Body

• A new outdoor classroom, more catering provision and extra space to find shade, shelter and seating in a stylish new pavilion overlooking the Olympic Standard Competition Course

• More changing rooms which will increase the capacity for rafting and paddling at peak times

• Additional car parking and toilets to better accommodate large group visits, corporate away days and team building exercises-an important income stream for the centre.

The project is being undertaken following the huge success of the centre’s initial year. Since opening in April 2011 it has generated £2 million in income and attracted 155,000 visitors. People have come from all over the country as well as every single London borough and it is used by elite athletes, grassroots enthusiasts and school and community groups alike, many of whom had never before tried paddle sports or white water activities.

Did you know?GB pair etienne Stott and Tim Baillie won gold in a time of 106.41, followed by Richard Hounslow and David Florence, who registered a time of 106.77 to claim silver.

Etienne Stott

It was a huge honour to have won gold and beaten some of the world’s best canoeists in this fantastic venue.

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Schools Festival A pre Games LegacySince opening, Lee Valley White Water Centre has staged two hugely popular Schools Festivals. The first, in July 2011, and the second in March 2012 attracted more than 2,000 school children from every London borough, Essex and Hertfordshire, giving them a chance to white water raft for free. The vast majority of youngsters at the festivals were white water rafting for the first time.

The Schools Festival initiative forms a key part of the Authority’s drive to ensure that as many people as possible benefit from the sporting activities on offer at its London 2012 venues and that they are encouraged to take part in physical activity in order to lead healthier lives.

The Schools Festival is now an annual event at Lee Valley White Water Centre and will become part of the programme at all the Authority’s London 2012 venues. Young people from across the capital and surrounding region will have the chance to try new sports in world class arenas. Designed to inspire and motivate, the Schools Festival will also help unearth the stars of tomorrow.

A blueprint for legacy successThe success of Lee Valley White Water Centre as a community and sporting venue that attracts people of all abilities can be attributed to the fact that it has had legacy at its heart from the day it was conceived.The Authority’s vision for a white water venue dates back more than a decade when, in partnership with the British Canoe union (BCu), it identified the potential to locate one in this part of the country to capitalise on the interest in the sport in London and the South east. The plan was given extra drive when in 2004, plans for Lee Valley White Water Centre became part of the bid to bring the 2012 Games to London.

in 2005, after London won the right to stage the 2012 Games, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority staff visited Olympic venues in Sydney and Barcelona and a range of commercial white water centres to understand what has and has not worked in the past. in 2007, the Authority and the BCu decided to include a second course at Lee Valley White Water Centre. This eventually became the 160m Legacy Loop specifically designed to hone the canoeing skills of enthusiasts so that they can graduate up to the Olympic course. it is perfect for unearthing the stars of tomorrow so that British canoeing will again enjoy the kind of memorable moments witnessed at Lee Valley White Water Centre during the 2012 Games. it also broadens the commercial potential of the centre, with two courses allowing for a greater number of people to white water raft.

The centre cost £31 million to construct and the Authority led the charge to raise £11 million of this in order to maximise its legacy potential. The bulk of this paid for the second course and other facilities that could be used in legacy. The Authority contributed £6 million, creating a funding group with the east of england Development Agency and Sport england, who contributed £4 million and £1 million respectively. The remaining £20 million to build the centre came from the Olympic Delivery Authority.

The centre’s 300m Olympic Standard Competition Course, on which the Olympic Canoe Slalom event took place, is used by elite athletes for training, community and school groups and by a huge variety of people for commercial rafting. it provides an exhilarating experience – elite canoeists have described it as the world’s best course; visitors have described the white water rafting as simply a great day out.

The centre has become an established sporting and community asset for London and the South east, popular with visitors enjoying a drink or meal in a stunning setting or those looking for excitement by taking part in white water rafting and paddle sports.

60,000 spectators attended the five day competition at Lee Valley White Water Centre

Did you know?Lee Valley White Water Centre won the gold award for two of the five days of competition, given by Locog to the best London 2012 venue of the day.

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Lee Valley VeloPark Four disciplines One legacyWork to construct Lee Valley VeloPark, which will have the iconic Velodrome at its heart, is already underway. Planned to open in early 2014, it will quite simply be the best hub for cycling in the world, bringing together four disciplines in one place: track cycling, mountain biking, BMX and road cycling.The transformation work will see:

• The construction of a one-mile road circuit

• Creation of 9km of mountain bike trails

• A remodelled Olympic BMX track for cyclists of different abilities

• Installation of secure bike storage at the Olympic Velodrome.

Lee Valley VeloPark, like the Authority’s other 2012 venues, will combine community and elite use. It will cater for everyone from children trying mountain biking for the first time, to club cyclists, to Olympic and World Champions.

Cycling for allA wide variety of bikes will be available to hire for the public allowing them to sample any of the four disciplines on offer. This will ensure that the venue is accessible and inclusive to all. Specially adapted bikes will be made available so that those with additional needs will also be able to participate in any of the four cycling disciplines on offer. Lee Valley VeloPark will open up track cycling, road cycling, BMX and mountain biking to hundreds of thousands of people. Participation and sports development will be at the core of its work while specific programmes will also be implemented to help identify and train future cycling stars.

Did you know?Sir Chris Hoy became greatest British Olympian ever when he won a 6th Olympic gold medal at the Velodrome

Sarah Storey won

four gold medals to become

Britain’s joint most successful Paralympian

of the modern era.

Sir Chris Hoy

The roar of the crowd at the Velodrome was amazing. It inspired the team to victory.

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Did you know?Team GB won seven out of possible ten gold medals. Paralympic track cyclists won 15 medals

A day in the life of Lee Valley VeloPark7am Lee Valley VeloPark opens. People arrive to ride around one of the four tracks before heading off to work. They can bring their own bikes or hire them on site.

8.30am School groups begin safe cycling lessons on the road circuit. They will eventually take their Bikeability test to equip them with the skills to cycle safely on roads.

9am elite British cyclists train inside the Velodorome ahead of a major championship.

11.30am School and college groups take part in taster sessions inside the Velodrome, sampling a world class sports arena. The fixed-wheel, brakeless bikes they use will be available for hire, while on-site coaches employed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority will make sure they have a thrilling but also safe experience.

12pm experienced riders use the road circuit to practice for a league meet.

1pm All ability cycling session in the Velodrome and on the mountain bike trails for those with additional needs. Specially adapted bikes available on site.

3pm Velodrome taster session for women’s groups and adults aged 50 and over.

4pm BMX clubs from across London and the surrounding region meet for a competition.

7pm evening league races take place on the road circuit drawing riders from across London and the South east.

8pm Structured training sessions for higher-level coaching at the Velodrome, along with track skills and time devoted for club hire. This will also be the time when the track is given over to specialist track disciplines such as Madison and keirin, and track leagues.

Working with partners to deliver a cycling legacyWell before construction of the Velodrome began in March 2009 the Authority was involved in every stage of its development, from inception to implementation, to ensure that it would be able to deliver a legacy beyond the London 2012 Games. The Authority worked closely with the Olympic Delivery Authority, Locog, British Cycling and cycling user groups on all aspects of the design, from the installation of lighting and sound systems to finalising the location of the toilets. This has ensured that the cost and time needed for post-Games transformation work are kept to a minimum.

Part of Lee Valley VeloPark will be located on the Authority’s much loved and very popular Eastway Road Circuit, which opened in 1975 and closed in November 2006 to make way for the development of Olympic Park. The Authority is proud to be continuing its long-standing involvement with the cycling community.

It will be a venue that will have community at heart while keeping in mind commercial imperatives. Major corporate events, such as product launches, team bonding days and riding sessions with celebrity cyclists will help to generate revenue that will be used to support cycling initiatives aimed at women, minority groups, vulnerable, hard to reach youngsters, schools and colleges.

The Authority is also actively pursuing a number of other commercial initiatives such as naming rights for the now world famous Velodrome and sponsorship opportunities. We anticipate much of this will be in place by the time Lee Valley VeloPark opens to the public, helping to further subsidise community and sports development initiatives.

The Authority chairs a six Host Borough group to drive forward plans and provisions for local cycling. This is comprised of members from the London boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest as well as British Cycling and a number of sports charities interested in increasing cycling facilities and participation within the community.

The group delivered and established five new BMX tracks across the Host Boroughs well before the Olympic Games even began. A number of clubs are based at these new tracks and they will act as feeders through to the BMX track at Lee Valley VeloPark.

The Authority has also worked closely with British Cycling on the development of a five year legacy sports plan for Lee Valley VeloPark, and there is now a Cycling Development Officer working across the region to develop community cycling opportunities.

A substantive 2014 opening programme for Lee Valley VeloPark will be implemented by the Authority to highlight the venue’s unique ability to combine community and elite use. Events being considered include a bike day for school children from across London and the surrounding region, a national club competition for young, emerging riders, a major international meeting for elite riders and an open day for riders of all ages and abilities, giving them a chance to sample the four cycling disciplines on offer.

Tickets for the London 2012 track cycling competition sold out within

30mins of going on sale

Team GB broke

5 world records

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Tennis legacy Sharing a £30 million building with Lee Valley Tennis Centre, there will be four indoor tennis courts in a spectacular tennis hall and six outdoor tennis courts.The centre will be open to the public throughout the day and evening, year round, becoming a unique tennis venue in the heart of east London reaching out to diverse abilities and communities, many of whom have not historically had access to first class tennis facilities.

in partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association, the sport’s national Governing Body and its charitable arm, the Tennis Foundation, a number of programmes aimed at schools, community groups, disabled athletes and other players will be implemented. Tennis clubs will also be established at the centre.

Working with the LTA, coaches will also be recruited from mid-2013 onwards and trained to deliver community tennis programmes such as taster sessions for those who have never played the sport before, women-only sessions and disability tennis sessions.

The Authority is also working with the six Host Boroughs on initiatives designed to ensure that schools and communities within those areas benefit from having such a world class facility on their doorstep.

For example, in partnership with the LTA and Tennis Foundation, tennis “beacon” sites will be established in each of the six Host Boroughs. These will be dedicated tennis development centres, forming the first step in a clear path of progression to help unearth future Wimbledon champions. Starting off playing in local neighbourhoods, tennis players showing promise will be able to graduate to more demanding tennis coaching and competitions at Lee Valley Tennis Centre.

A wheelchair tennis legacyBuilding on the success of the London 2012 Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Competition at eton Manor, Lee Valley Tennis Centre will be established as a Regional Centre of excellence for wheelchair tennis. Working with partner organisations, it will deliver programmes designed to make tennis inclusive to all abilities.

A team of outreach community tennis coaches will work with local special educational needs schools and all ability clubs to establish a network of sustainable, inclusive tennis programmes.

Hockey legacyWith two hockey pitches that will be amongst the finest in the country, Lee Valley Hockey Centre is expected to open in spring 2014.The Hockey Centre will share a clubhouse with Lee Valley Tennis Centre and will have changing facilities, bar and social area to establish it as a sporting and community asset.

Conversion work will begin in november 2012 to transform the stands that were used for the Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis event at eton Manor into 3,000 permanent seats. There will also be the flexibility to increase capacity temporarily to 15,000 for major events.

Lee Valley Hockey Centre will host the 2015 euroHockey Championships – the first major international sports event to take place on Olympic Park after the Games – as well as many other high profile competitions as the centre will become england Hockey’s events centre. The national Governing Body will use the venue for a variety of events including Cup Finals, Premiership playoffs, County finals and international competitions.

The centre is expected to be especially popular with local communities where traditionally hockey has enjoyed an enthusiastic following but suffered from a lack of facilities.

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority is working in partnership with the six Host Boroughs, england Hockey, and clubs to implement programmes designed to increase participation in the sport and awareness within the community of what Lee Valley Hockey Centre will offer.

A number of development programmes, designed to increase participation in hockey are already in place. These include “Quick Sticks” which is aimed at making the sport more inclusive and increasing participation and “Rush Hockey” which is specifically aimed at getting more players aged 16 plus into the sport with an adapted version of the full game.

Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre A double legacyLocated at eton Manor, in the north of Olympic Park, this will be one world class venue offering premier sports facilities in two sports: hockey and tennis.

Major transformation work began at eton Manor in november 2012 and the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre is scheduled to open in spring 2014. 630,000

people in total attended the London 2012 hockey tournament.

31 countries took part in the London 2012 Paralympics tennis competition at eton Manor.

More than 100 athletes from

Did you know?GB women’s hockey team won bronze, its first Olympic medal in 20 years.

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Next stepsOver the coming months substantial progress will be made transforming our venues from ‘Games mode’ to ‘legacy mode’ and we will be working on the final details to make sure we are ready for launch. This means setting the prices for things like bike hire at Lee Valley VeloPark and court and pitch hire at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre. it also means recruiting and training coaches, finalising agreements with clubs who want to base themselves at our venues and reminding as many people as possible that, come early 2014, they will have access to some truly inspiring world class facilities.We will produce an updated report in spring 2013 to reflect the progress being made and provide more of these details. We know that anticipation and excitement is high, with the country keen to sample our London 2012 venues – we feel the same way – but we also want everything to be just right for opening.

As the owners of two Olympic Park venues and a third of the parklands, the Authority is also working closely with the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) to create a unique sporting and cultural destination that will be a major visitor attraction. By capitalising on our existing experience and building on the fantastic success of the London 2012 Games, we will deliver an enduring and wide ranging legacy that benefits as many people as possible.

Who we areLee Valley Regional Park Authority is a statutory £20 million a year sport and leisure business. It was established by an Act of Parliament in 1966 and is responsible for running the 26 mile long park which is spread over 10,000 acres.

The Authority was set up specifically to create leisure opportunities in the Lee Valley. We are the only statutory organisation of this type in the UK, with a remit covering sport, leisure, entertainment and nature conservation. Lee Valley Regional Park attracts 5 million visitors per year. It is of huge environmental and ecological importance and is often referred to as “London’s green lung.”

We host around 500 events per year, attracting people from all 33 London boroughs, Essex and Hertfordshire as well as other parts of the country. Our existing sports venues also attract a unique and diverse level of athletes from all over London and the surrounding region.

Lee Valley 2012 venues International sporting calenderSecuring high profile, major international events is key to the Authority’s legacy vision for all its London 2012 venues. These competitions generate a range of social, economic and sporting benefits and raise the profile of each sport, helping to attract and inspire a new generation of participants. At the same time, a wide ranging events programme for schools, communities, clubs, and other groups will also be implemented highlighting the ability of these venues to combine community and elite use. This will include inter school competitions, national and regional club contests and a variety of sports related community initiatives.

Working with partners, the Authority has already secured two major international sporting events and has bid for others.

2015 World Canoe Slalom Championships at Lee Valley White Water Centre. Lee Valley White Water Centre was the first London 2012 venue to secure a major event for after the Games. The Authority backed the winning bid led by the British Canoe Union. Other partners included UK Sport and London & Partners. Last held in the UK in 1995 the event is almost five times bigger than the Olympic competition with 400 athletes taking part.

2015 European Hockey Championships at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre. The successful bid was developed in partnership with England Hockey, London Legacy Development Corporation, London & Partners’ and UK Sport. The tournament will have added importance as the winner of the men’s and women’s competition will be guaranteed a place at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. It is part of UK Sport’s Gold Event Series, which supports and recognises top level sports competitions being staged in the country and ensures that they have government backing.

Submitted bids:

2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships at Lee Valley VeloPark’s Velodrome. This is the most significant track cycling event ahead of the Rio Games. It is a major event that attracts the world’s best cyclists and major sponsors which last took place in Great Britain in 2008. The bid is being supported by British Cycling and Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London. The decision is expected in mid-2013. Also part of UK Sport’s Gold Event Series.

2014-16

International Tennis Foundation Wheelchair Tennis Masters Championship at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre. The world’s eight leading wheelchair tennis players take part in this tournament which has never taken place in London before. A decision is expected in November 2012.

£2.3 billionper annum. Value of sports tourism to British economy.

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For more information about Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and its venues please contact

Stephen Bromberg Head of Communications Lee Valley Regional Park Authority Myddelton House Bulls Cross, Enfield Middlesex EN2 9HG

01992 709 881 sbromberg@leevalleypark.org.uk

www.leevalleypark.org.uk

@LeeValleyPark

Published November 2012

1 Amwell Nature Reserve

2 Lee Valley Marina, Stanstead Abbotts

3 Rye Meads Nature Reserve

4 Lee Valley Boat Centre

5 River Lee Country Park Lee Valley Park Farms YHA Lee Valley

6 Lee Valley White Water Centre

7 Gunpowder Park

8 Lee Valley Campsite, Sewardstone

9 Lee Valley Athletics Centre

Lee Valley Camping & Caravan Park, Edmonton

10 Tottenham Marshes

11 Lee Valley Marina, Springfield

12 Walthamstow Marshes

13 WaterWorks Nature Reserve and Golf Centre Lee Valley Riding Centre Lee Valley Ice Centre

14 Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park: Lee Valley VeloPark Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre

15 Three Mills Island

16 Bow Creek Ecology Park and East India Dock Basin

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Lee Valley Regional Park…

…is 10,000 acres of parklands stretching from the River Thames through east and north London, and Essex to Ware in Hertfordshire. It is a mosaic of award-winning open spaces, sports venues, heritage sites, country parks, farms, golf courses, lake and riverside trails, campsites, marinas, angling and boating locations attracting more than 5 million visits a year

… has eight Green Flag winning open spaces, three Green Heritage Sites and four Highly Commended Quest accredited sports venues

…is funded in part by London’s 33 boroughs and Essex and Hertfordshire. It is working to reduce its requirement for public money to ensure that at least half its income comes from other sources.

Image Credits: British Cycling / British Paralympic Association / England HockeySustrans / AE Photos