• Motivate East secures almost £1 million for two more years.
• 36,635 people from east London have participated in inclusive activities ranging from street dance to sitting volleyball since the project’s launch in 2013.
• 1,454 pieces of equipment have been provided to enable local clubs and the wider community to organise their own activities.
• Motivate East 2 launched with a day of inclusive activities on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park marking 100 days to go to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Motivate East, east London’s flagship Paralympic legacy project, has secured another two years of funding after smashing its targets for providing disabled local people with opportunities to get active.

Launching the second phase of the project on the day that marked 100 days to go to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games (Monday 30 May), Motivate East put on a range of activities including taekwondo and mini tennis at Mandeville Place in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – an area of the Park that celebrates the most successful Paralympic Games in history.

Set up in 2013, Motivate East’s mission is to capitalise on the enthusiasm generated by the London 2012 Paralympic Games to promote disability sport.  Originally covering the former Olympic and Paralympic host boroughs, it now extends across seven local authorities. 

People of all ages and abilities have enjoyed a range of activities and events delivered by Motivate East: from the annual Tea Dance where over 50s foxtrotted and shimmied their way around the Copper Box Arena; a multi-sport day for deaf and hearing impaired participants involving basketball and badminton; and Move, Play, Explore – a sports day run with the Teenage Cancer Trust for young people affected by cancer which was attended by more than 200 people. 

The success of the project has led to Sport England providing another £270,000 of funding for Motivate East, with additional support from the London Legacy Development Corporation, WheelPower and the participating boroughs. Over the next two years Motivate East hopes to engage thousands of new people in inclusive activities.

One of the key strands of Motivate East is training volunteers who can inspire disabled people to participate in sport and physical activity. To date, 92 Para Legacy Agents have been equipped with the skills, knowledge and confidence to successfully support disabled people and help them to be more active.

Helene Raynsford, Motivate East’s new Chair said: “Motivate East’s ambition over the next two years is to reach out to new people including those with complex disabilities, memory conditions and long-term pain; I am incredibly excited to be joining at this time.  As a former Paralympian I know the importance of grass roots sport and what a difference it can make to people’s confidence, ambitions and well-being.”

In addition to its team of Para Legacy volunteers, Motivate East offers bursaries for people to train as sports coaches. Since 2013 bursaries have been awarded to 14 local people, almost half of whom have a disability, equipping them with the skills to provide opportunities for the wider community. 
 
Vicki Austin, Head of Sport for the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “Motivate East has far exceeded expectations and has shown there is real demand for inclusive activities. We’re delighted that further funding allows us to build on the Paralympic legacy in east London and give more people the opportunity to get active.”

As well as engaging harder to reach people, Motivate East also aims to train another 50 Para Legacy Agents, run two weeks of inclusive sports coaching, support two additional sports clubs per borough and provide opportunities for people to participate in high-profile events including National Paralympic Day on 3 September, 2016 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

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For more information contact the Press Office at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on +44 (0) 20 3734 9010 or email press@QueenElizabethOlympicPark.co.uk 

Notes to Editors

Motivate East is delivered across seven local authorities: Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge. For further information about Motivate East, visit: http://motivateeast.co.uk/ 

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a place unlike any other. Spread across 560 acres of beautiful parklands with historic waterways, famous sporting venues and a vibrant arts and events programme. At the Park’s centre sits the former Olympic Stadium, a world-class, multi-use venue that will play host to Premier League football, concerts and international athletics and, coming soon, The Slide at the ArcelorMittal Orbit. As the new heart of east London, the Park will provide future homes, jobs and an unrivalled education and cultural district housing Sadler’s Wells, V&A East, UAL’s London College of Fashion and UCL East. 

The London Legacy Development Corporation promotes and delivers physical, social, economic and environmental regeneration in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the surrounding area by maximising the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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