Sports Minister Hails Legacy For London
29th March 2012The London Youth Games Foundation is delighted to announce that their existing sponsorship agreement with Balfour Beatty has been extended through to 2015, meaning £1.1m will go towards funding grass roots youth sport in the Olympic and Paralympic host city post-2012.
Europe’s largest annual youth sports event and the international infrastructure group have enjoyed a highly successful partnership since 2007 with participation in the Games having tripled to over 70,000 young Londoners during that period.
This extended deal will bring Balfour Beatty’s total sponsorship of the London Youth Games to £2.5m over the nine years to the end of 2015.
With the recent confirmation that Sport England National Lottery will provide approximately £1m worth of funding for the London Youth Games for the next three years, as part of the national School Games initiative, it puts in place a significant building block to help deliver a legacy of more young people taking part in competitive sport in London.
The news was announced at the School Games finals of the 2012 Balfour Beatty London Youth Games at the National Sports Centre Crystal Palace where 3,000 primary aged youngsters from right across London competed in eight sports.
Minister for Sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson MP said: “I’m delighted that Balfour Beatty has continued its investment in the London Youth Games. This is exactly the kind of partnership between business and sport we want to see, benefitting young people and building on our legacy from 2012.”
Commenting on the sponsorship, Balfour Beatty Chief Operating Officer Andrew McNaughton said: “It is vitally important that we use the 2012 Olympic Games as a springboard for active participation in sport across the country and in London, in particular.
“Our partnership with the London Youth Games is a key part of our mission to help young people make the best of themselves and by extending it to at least 2015, we can make sure that forward momentum in terms of young people’s involvement in sport in the Capital is maintained”.
Richard Lewis, Chair of Sport England, said: "The London Youth Games has done a fantastic job in getting young Londoners involved in sport and I'm really pleased that Balfour Beatty is going to continue supporting them until 2015.
“Together with the School Games, thousands of young people in London will have the chance to take part in sport and ensure we build a lasting legacy beyond this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games."
Anthony Kendall, Chair of the London Youth Games Foundation said: “Balfour Beatty have been superb partners for the London Youth Games since 2007 and we are thrilled that the relationship will continue to flourish beyond 2012.
“Both organisations share the ambition of enabling young Londoners from all communities to fulfil their potential through sport. With the Olympic and Paralympic Games now almost upon us, it is crucial that we seize the moment of building a legacy for London.
“With Balfour Beatty at our side we are now in a stronger position than ever to meet our goal of young people from every single school in London to be involved in our competition, cultural or volunteering programmes by 2015.”
In 2012 the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games is hosting 80 school and community competitions across 30 sports, including five disability sports, the Thames Water Regatta on 9 June and climaxing at the finals weekend at the National Sports Centre, Crystal Palace on 28 June – 1 July 2012.
Now part of the Government’s nationwide School Games programme and supported by Sport England National Lottery funding, the London Youth Games has expanded to feature more schools events within its competition programme.