Lyn is the Chief Executive of LLDC

The legacy of the 2012 games was recently the vocal point for a new video by the International Olympic Committee, showcasing some of the key long-term benefits of the 2012 Games. From Games makers to local apprentices, the video shines a light on some of those directly impacted by the 2012 legacy, and as we near this year’s Tokyo Games, provides an insight into how transformative these major sporting events can be for its surrounding areas. 

I am glad to see that we’re edging ever closer to a sense of some normality on the Park, and it’s great to see the public safely returning to venues such as the London Stadium, London Aquatics Centre and Copper Box Arena to enjoy the world-class facilities they have to offer. We’ve been pleased to be able to support events such as Vitality Netball Superleague games and the British Swimming Selection Trials behind closed doors, while Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre hosts FIH Pro League hockey, but we’re all excited to see the gradual return of live spectator events.

Elsewhere, development teams continue to work hard on progressing housing delivery across our various schemes. Following two successful initial rounds of consultation for Pudding Mill, a third round has now gone live, ahead of planning applications being submitted.  

Over at UCL, Professor Paola Lettieri (UCL East Director) has shared her thoughts on how the university is working to create an open, publicly engaged UCL East campus that works with LLDC to preserve biodiversity and promote public art on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The piece also notes the success of the UCL Engineering Tutoring Programme in reducing the attainment gap in east London. The scheme, supported by LLDC as part of the East Education programme, sees local pupils benefit from one to one science and maths tutoring from UCL engineering students. 

Since lockdown, the programme has moved to a virtual format, with over 4,000 hours of virtual tutoring sessions completed since March 2020.  

The BADU Bridging the Gap programme has enjoyed similar success. Delivered in collaboration with LLDC and UCL Engineering, the programme has provided local community tuition programmes throughout lockdown, with the Easter edition offering academic support to over 200 young people over the Half Term. 

In the same spirit, it’s great to see that ten Shared Employment and Training (STEP) trainees have been accepted on to this year’s programme and have started their 12-month LLW-paid traineeships with a virtual induction at the start of this month. STEP is funded and developed by LLDC and delivered by Create Jobs (an employability programme by A New Direction), and will now be delivered as part of the Good Growth Hub on the Park. 

I’m also pleased to share an update on Foundation for Future London’s (FFL) Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund. FFL has awarded £560,000 to 15 local projects in Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest from the £10 million five-year fund, sponsored by Westfield Stratford City. The projects include cultural, employability and entrepreneurship programmes which will support local organisations such as Deafroots, East London Dance, the Half Moon Theatre and The Line Art Work. The grant schemes will benefit 1603 young and local people from East London’s most underserved communities. One such scheme is the frontline charity Streets of Growth which will support Bangladeshi and Somali women with employment. You can find out more about the awards granted and their impact here. 

This week we were honoured to join the Mayor in opening the London Blossom Garden planted in the north of the Park. The garden offers a place of reflection for Londoners to remember those who have lost their lives to the Coronavirus pandemic, and pays tribute to London’s brave key workers who risked their own lives to help others and keep our city moving.