Manchester City Council Item 9 Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee 16 October 2012 Manchester City Council Report for Resolution Report To: Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee – 16 October 2012 Subject: Update on Sports Events, including those related to the Olympics Report of: Deputy Chief Executive (Neighbourhoods) Summary The report provides an update on the programme of sporting events which have happened so far this year, including those related to the Olympics. It also includes the impact these have had on local communities. The report highlights that over 109,000 people have taken part in mass participation sporting events such as the BUPA Great Manchester Run and Skyride and that over 580 volunteers have developed new skills and have been deployed to support the activities. Linked to the events, Manchester secured over £3.9m investment from Sport England’s Olympic Legacy Programme, which represents the largest Olympic legacy investment into Sports facilities anywhere outside games related facilities. In addition, over 27 Olympic Games contracts were secured by Manchester companies and 5 overseas teams based themselves in Manchester generating over £1.2meconomic impact. 175 Manchester schools signed up to Olympic Get Set Education Programme and two Manchester Schools were fortunate enough to participate in Olympic Opening Ceremony in London. Significant benefits were also achieved for Manchester’s tourism economy, over 70,000 people welcomed the Olympic Torch through Manchester and over 1,500 people welcomed the Paralympic Flame to the Olympic Live Site, throughout the Olympic period over 570,000 visitors attended the Manchester Live Site, with over 365,000 people watching the Olympics and 205,000 people watching the Paralympics. This was in addition to the 370,000 spectators who watched the Olympic Football at Old Trafford, generating an estimated £23m economic impact. Around 550 Athletes and officials were based in Manchester as part of the Pre- Olympic and Paralympic Games training period. These Training Camps are in addition to those athletes who are permanently based in Greater Manchester. Manchester’s contribution to the games itself was the most significant achievement with over 1,000 staff and volunteers deployed from Manchester to support the games time operation, this was only surpassed by the achievements of the Manchester based athletes who accounted for over 40% of all GB medals, including 11 Olympic Gold medals and 16 Paralympic Gold medals. To celebrate the success of the 2012 Games in Manchester a celebration of Manchester’s Olympic and Paralympic heroes will take place at Albert Square on Friday October 26th 2012. This event will include attendance from athletes, coaches, backroom support staff, torchbearers, Games Makers and Ambassadors. 65 Manchester City Council Item 9 Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee 16 October 2012 Recommendations Members are asked to: 1. Note the community and economic impact for the City arising from the sporting events in 2012. 2. Recognise and support the importance of refreshing the Manchester Major Sports Events Strategy for the period 2013-17 to assist in securing public sector investment and attracting significant match funding from other public and private sector partners. 3. Recognise and support the importance of celebrating Manchester’s legacy from the Olympics and note the impact for Manchester which outside London is unparallel across the UK. Contact Officers: Name: Vicky Rosin Position: Deputy Chief Executive (Neighbourhoods) Telephone: 0161 234 4051 E-mail: [email protected] Name: Eamonn O’Rourke Position: Head of Community and Cultural Services Telephone: 0161 953 2451 E-mail: e.o’[email protected] Name : Neil Fairlamb Position : Head of Sport Telephone: 0161 223 1155 E-mail: [email protected] Background documents (available for public inspection): Progress Update on the Preparations and Legacy Impact of the 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Programme in Manchester - Report to Community and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 13 December 2011 (Item 6). 1 Introduction 1.1 This paper provides an overview and update on the programme of sporting events which have happened so far this year, including those related to the Olympics. It also includes the impact these have had on local communities. 1.2 This report is in response to a request from the Council Executive in 2008 where Officers were asked to establish a steering group to maximise the impact of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The report also provides an update to the previous report submitted to the meeting of 13th December 2011. 66 Manchester City Council Item 9 Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee 16 October 2012 2 Background 2.1 The report on Olympic and Paralympic related activity which was presented to Community and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee in December 2011 identified a number of key areas where Manchester along with our regional partners could deliver community benefit linked to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. These included:- 1. Delivering a programme of major sporting events that will showcase Manchester as a venue for elite sports events whilst inspiring mass participation in sporting activities across all communities. 2. Securing a number of Pre Games Training Camps. 3. Hosting the Olympic Torch Relay event. 4. Securing an Official Olympic Live Site in the city centre. 5. Supporting the hosting of the Olympic Football Tournament at “Old Trafford, Manchester”. 2.2 This paper set out the community impact against the above five areas of focus. 3 Major Sporting Events 3.1 The focus for the 2012 Major Sports Events Programme was developed on the basis of promoting the ‘Olympic value’ of encouraging people to take part in sport and physical activity. Consequently 109,000 people have been encouraged to get involved in a diverse range of activities and events in Manchester, including the BUPA Great Manchester Run and Junior / Mini Runs, the Great Manchester Swim, Great City Games, Sky Ride and the Great Manchester Cycle. In addition, these events were complemented with major spectator events attracting some of the best athletes in the world to Manchester. This included events such as the historic matches between GB and USA Basketball, which helped to achieve substantial media profile for the city, the European Taekwondo Championships and Rugby League Magic Weekend. 3.2 Furthermore, residents of Wythenshawe celebrated their very own version of the Games themselves, as people of all ages and abilities were given the chance to display their own Olympic spirit. Pupils from across Manchester Schools were also involved in their own School Olympics, which formed part of a national initiative linked to the Olympics in London. 3.3 BUPA Great Manchester Run and Great City Games 3.3.1 Once again Manchester residents took to the streets in their thousands for the BUPA Great Manchester Run on May 20th, a hugely popular event celebrating its 10th year. The event is complemented by a series of events including the Great City Games, where star athletes such as Jessica Ennis and Holly Bleasdale competed in front of thousands of fans lining the city centre streets along Deansgate and Albert Square. 67 Manchester City Council Item 9 Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee 16 October 2012 3.3.2 Over 40,000 people entered the run, of which an estimated 8,000 were Manchester residents. Such was the uptake that every ward in Manchester was represented with many people taking part for the first time. Over 100 free entries were provided to Manchester’s athletics clubs and community groups, who in turn raised money for their respective club activities in Manchester. In addition, over 200 volunteers were recruited to support the event. The event was underpinned by the Bupa Junior & Mini Great Manchester Run and the Great Schools Run which saw over 5,000 school children from across 60 schools complete the 2.4km course around Sportcity. 3.3.3 The Great City Games took place on a specially constructed running track on Deansgate, closing Manchester’s busiest high street to traffic for the whole of the weekend. The event was free to spectators, many of whom had taken part in the Great Manchester Run earlier in the day. 3.3.4 The Great City Games incorporated a programme of school sprints. The Manchester Great School Sprints competition began with an intra-school competition for each school to identify their fastest sprinters over 60m. Fourteen Secondary schools registered from across the city totalling 2,800 year 7 pupils taking part in the trials. All schools received a coaching booklet specially produced for the competition by the City Council, NOVA International (event promoter) and England Athletics. 3.3.5 Round 2 of the competition was delivered at the Regional Indoor Arena hosting 170 pupils from 8 schools. All the participants received coaching tips and advice from Great Britain’s Nadia Williams, Leon Baptiste and Andy Turner. The guest athletes delivered warm ups, drill sessions and advice on starting. 3.3.6 Round 3 took place on the Great City Games Deansgate Track. The fastest 90 pupils (45 girls and 45 boys) raced off over 150m. Six Olympic and World championship athletes including Olympic Gold Medallist Felix Sanchez delivered a one hour coaching sessions to the youngsters. The participants ran heats, semis and finals to identify the fastest four boys and girls to progress to round 4. 3.3.7 Round 4 was again on the City Games track over 150m and televised live on the BBC. The eight athletes received VIP athlete passes and went through warm-up and call up just as the elite athletes did on the day. The winner of each race was then presented with their trophy and interviewed live by Katharine Merry as the Great School Sprint Champion. All the athletes have since been encouraged to join their local athletics clubs and it is anticipated that some of the young people will become champions of the future.