2012 Updates

Team GB website is go, go, go for Beijing

Launched by The British Olympic Association, the Team GB website allows visitors to view the latest news from Beijing, watch videos, download podcasts, view athlete profiles, sign up for e-mail updates, check the schedules and results. Visitors can even leave their own message of support to athletes on the message board.

Lloyds TSB providing over £1m for future Olympic and Paralympic stars

Lloyds TSB, the first official partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, has announced that it is to give over £1m to Britain's future athletes. In the four years running up to 2012 the nationwide 'Lloyds TSB Local Heroes' scheme will provide up to £1000 to 250 emerging young sportspeople identified each year across Britain.

LOCOG signs up to Sedex - key suppliers expected to do the same

Reaffirming its commitment to hosting a 'Sustainable Games', the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) has announced that it has become a member of the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Sedex) and is working towards publishing a Sustainable Sourcing Code in autumn this year. Membership of Sedex improves LOCOG's ability to monitor and manage ethical and environmental impacts in its key supply chains..

Countdown to 2012 - work on Olympic stadium begins three months early

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell recently visited the site of the Olympic Park to witness the start of the stadium's construction three months early. Construction is set to accelerate over the next year when building starts on the other five main venues: the aquatics centre, VeloPark, International Broadcast Centre/Main Press Centre and the Olympic Village.

Ceremonial Olympic handover from Beijing to London on 24 August

At the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on 24 August, an eight-minute slot will mark the official handover of the Olympics from Beijing to London 2012. The focus is not just on London, and bank holiday events will be taking place throughout the UK - including the Northwest - to mark the historical handover.

25 Northwest sporting venues included in London 2012 training camp guide

25 sporting venues across the Northwest will feature in London 2012's Pre-Games Training Camp Guide for Paralympic sports, which will be published later this summer. The Guide is a comprehensive list of 179 venues throughout the UK which can now be used by Paralympians from all over the world as they make their final preparations for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

Pennine Lancashire receives £1.1m lottery cash boost for sports

Communities Minister, Baroness Kay Andrews, has announced a £1.1m lottery cash boost as part of an overall £3,682,000 package that will go to Sport and Physical Activity Alliances (SPAAs) in Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale and the RibbleValley.

Regional seminar looks at how ethnic minorities can get involved in 2012

On 22 May, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the NWDA jointly hosted a free event at the City of Manchester Stadium for businesses wanting to get involved in London 2012. Attended by over sixty companies from the diverse business community, the event provided advice on how to 'bid to win' and highlighted the wealth of information available for businesses looking for procurement opportunities.

Further business events and workshops are planned over the coming months covering topics such as marketing, sustainability and CompeteFor, the online business 'dating agency' that matches companies with the thousands of opportunities supplying London 2012 contractors.

Don't miss out on London 2012 Business Opportunities

Companies across the region are being encouraged to compete for a share of the £6 billion of supply chain contract work that is expected to be awarded by organisers of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and its top tier suppliers.

Interested companies should register and publish their Business Profile on CompeteFor. For further information please visit https://www.competefor.com

Companies are also encouraged to keep up-to date with London 2012 developments by regularly visiting the London 2012 Business Network at http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/business-network/index.php

A lasting cultural legacy for the Northwest thanks to London 2012

26 to 28 September 2008 marks the Cultural Olympiad launch weekend - the kick off to the London 2012 cultural programme. The launch includes a number of large scale creative projects, and is an opportunity for Northwest organisations to get involved in a four-year celebration of UK cultures.

Legacy Trust UK approves the Northwest's 2012 Olympic activity programme

To ignite ambition in the Northwest and to celebrate the hosting of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Legacy Trust UK has approved an outline proposal for a range of activities and events across the region. 'Northwest At Play' is a new programme which aims to deliver new large scale projects and special commissions which will create a lasting legacy from London 2012 in the Northwest.

Visitor numbers to Europe's Capital of Culture soar beyond the expected!

Liverpool is attracting record numbers of visitors in its Capital of Culture year. In May the city was on course to smash the three million visitors mark thanks to increased numbers attending cultural events or venues. Visitor numbers are up 25 per cent on this time last year, with some attractions experiencing 50 per cent growth.

Paralympic World Cup: Manchester's been great - bring on Beijing!

Manchester has proven time and again that it can play host to world-class athletes, providing superb sporting facilities and enthusiastic spectators. At this year's Paralympic World Cup the city welcomed 400 competitors from 45 different countries competing for 175 medals across four sports: athletics, wheelchair basketball, track cycling and swimming.

Great North Swim

On 13 September over a thousand people are expected to take the plunge at Cumbria's Lake Windermere as part of the Great North Swim - the UK's first mass participation open water swim event. The specially designed one-mile course is open to swimmers of all abilities aged 15 and over and by taking part, all swimmers will have joined The Great Activity Revolution - a series of events designed to combat increasing inactivity and obesity in the UK population.

Sports Volunteering North West pilots 'Get Connected'

Supported by Sport England, this brand new project from Sports Volunteering North West matches volunteers with suitable work providers in the region. Visitors to the site can register online to access exciting volunteering opportunities. Similarly, people who need volunteers can register as providers, allowing them to advertise opportunities and search through a host of willing volunteers.

Government gives go ahead for National Skills Academy (NSA) for Sport and Leisure

Comprising nine regional hubs, the National Skills Academy (NSA) promises to improve skills and the standard of coaching across England. The Northwest hub opens this year in Penrith at the Centre for Outdoor Management, Education and Training (COMET), and is set to have a huge impact on training provision in the region.

3 May-28 September
Tatton Park Biennial

Inaugural biennial of contemporary art and sculpture; a programme of art, workshops, performances, tours and events.

12 June
Introduction to the Northwest Business Network, the London Business Network and CompeteFor

Racquet Club, Liverpool. Free seminar and workshop ideal for Northwest businesses wishing to get involved in London 2012.