The London 2012 Olympic Games were supposed to create a legacy of involvement in grassroots sports. A decade on, JOEL ADAMS assesses whether this has happened
Ten years ago this month, amid a swirl of NHS nurses, 007 parachuting in with the Queen, and Mr Bean playing the theme to Chariots Of Fire, the first Olympic Games held on these shores since 1948 got under way.
As part of the opening ceremony, an impeccably-dressed David Beckham escorted the Flame down the Thames before handing it over to Sir Steve Redgrave.
But in keeping with the Games’ motto “inspire a generation” it was seven unknown teenage athletes who lit the petals of the great Olympic Cauldron.
So: a decade on, have we been inspired?
Are we healthier, more active, more sporty than we were before those halcyon summer days when beach volleyball graced Horse Guards Parade? And what effect has that other - less happy - national experience, the pandemic, had?
The data is not encouraging.
A 2022 survey for Spirit Of 2012 - the Lottery-funded Olympic legacy charity - found that 28pc of UK adults are 'inactive', defined as undertaking less than 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a week.
But that figure rises to more than 35pc in some local authority areas including, locally, Great Yarmouth and Kings Lynn.
Some 29,500 people in Yarmouth and 47,000 in Lynn are considered 'inactive' - but that could be partially explained by the demographics.
More deprived areas, of which there are many in urban areas of east and west Norfolk, have greater incidence of inactivity, and so do rural areas with more elderly people.
Nationwide, between 20 and 30pc of people aged 16 to 74 describe themselves as physically inactive, but that figure jumps to 45pc for 75-84s and to 68pc for the over-85s.
But sports and social clubs tell a different, and much more encouraging, story.
'GAMES FUNDING MADE A DRASTIC DIFFERENCE'
In 2012 around £350,000 was shared between eight Norfolk organisations.
Some including North Walsham Rugby Club, Sheringham Skate Park, and Horsford Cricket Club have not got back to us about their use of the money.
But Heacham Social Club told us how their facilities were transformed by investment from the Olympic legacy fund and Sports England - and those improved facilities have led to improved participation.
Club secretary Sally Bailey said: “It made a drastic difference. The changing room wasn’t there before we got the funding, there was nowhere for girls to get changed separate from the boys.
“There’s definitely been an uptick in participation in the last ten years.
“The kids football was going downhill, waning really, and now this year we’ve got 18 youth teams, we’ve got girls’ football - it’s really taken off.
“Our first team have been promoted five years in a row. They’re in the Thurlow Nunn league now, they’re just going from strength to strength down there it seems.”
POPULAR PARKRUN IS A GREAT BAROMETER
What about more traditional Olympic sports, like track and field?
Lifelong runner Tim Ash helped found the North Norfolk Harriers athletics club seven years ago. He said the legacy of the Games had more to do with participation than competition.
“Parkruns, those Saturday morning runs, are a great indicator of the health of the nation and they have definitely become more popular in the last ten years,” he said.
“From the point of view of bringing athletes through, I think it’s open to discussion. I’m not sure the Olympics had much of an impact on encouraging youngsters to compete. And then Covid has definitely reduced the number of young people coming through.”
His fellow athletic coach Clive Poyner, of Athletics Norfolk and Norfolk Sportshall, broadly agrees.
His U13 boys and U15 girls are national champions, but he struggles to attribute that to the London Games.
He said: “I think having the pandemic in the way hasn’t helped. A lot of the momentum has been lost for sure.
“Ten years ago we had an influx of people coming in and committing, but I can’t think of anyone in Norfolk who was say an under-11 at that age and who is now a shining star under-20.
“Our road running scene is very buoyant though and obviously those kinds of events help inspire people. I’m hoping we get another positive knock-on from the Commonwealth Games.
CYCLING'S UPS AND DOWNS
British Cycling has taken the world by storm in recent years and monstered the medal table at London 2012, with 12 gongs to second-placed Germany’s six.
A poll that year found 70 per cent of non-cyclists believed the team’s success under household names like Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome would inspire more people to get on their bikes.
Did it?
“I’m certainly aware there are more people out on their bikes, and a lot of people - mostly men but not exclusively - have invested in some nice kit, nice bikes,” said Pete Johnson of the Norwich Amateur Bicycle Club.
“But that hasn’t translated into new membership for our club, and in terms of time trialling and racing there’s been quite a decline over the last couple of years at local events.”
He concluded that the Olympics had caused an initial spike and then a steady decline in those interested in competitive cycling or racing, but that the overall increase in the sport’s visibility had increased participation among those who cycle occasionally as part of an active lifestyle.
Mike Padfield of North Norfolk Wheelers agreed.
He said: “Around 2012 there was definitely some fairly good-sized club rides forming at that time, we were getting 20 members on club rides.
“There was a lot of uptake in road cycling for leisure.
“The time trialling scene, which is an individual race against the clock, was a fairly niche activity but that increased, but has since dropped off a bit, a fair bit, and I think that’s due to Covid and illness.”
He said safety was a major concern for many.
“Locally there is a perception that roads are becoming more unsafe, and we don’t have many cycle lanes in Norfolk.
“A lot of people are holidaying locally not abroad and that does make roads busier here - and whatever the statistics there is a perception it’s not as safe on the roads.”
ROWING'S IMMEDIATE IMPACT
If drivers on the roads can present a hazard, surely nothing but the occasional irate swan can trouble those are take their exercise on the water?
Simon Prior of the West Norfolk Rowing Club (WNRC) credits London 2012 and its rowing heroes with his club getting off the ground in 2013.
He explained: “There’s no doubt the fact the Olympics had just happened helped that initial recruitment and to get the club on its feet.
“We didn’t get any specific Olympic funding, but we have had lots of support from Sport England along the way.
“Those events to do help - as was having the boat race up here, that was great. It raised the profile of rowing locally.”
Last year, under Covid rules, the Oxford Cambridge boat race was moved from its traditional course on the Thames to a stretch of the Ouse outside Ely in Cambridgeshire, immediately along from the stretch used by WNRC.
“It raised the profile locally, people knew about it. It made them think about rowing, they saw what a lovely stretch of river it is, and we’re right up there and we’re the only club in west Norfolk so it had a knock-on effect to some great recruiting.
“I think there’s more of every sport going on. Cricket clubs, football clubs, we’ve got a new Parkrun in Downham, and general fitness clubs we’ve seen more of as well, there’s definitely been a change of mindset.”
Norwich Rowing Club chair Julian Ringer is equally convinced of the power of the Games.
“There was an immediate impact in 2012. There was quite a lot of uptake in people who were interested in rowing, I’d say participation increased around 20pc after the Olympics.
“It was a lot of people who were into other sports who wanted to try rowing as an alternative to the other sports, and some completely new people who’d never done sports at all.
“Today we have about 110 members, although that’s dropped because of Covid of course. It’s had a serious impact on our numbers.
“A lot of people during Covid gave up active exercise and couldn’t come to the rowing club, which was largely closed. People withdrew but I think they’ll come back in due course.”
Alongside our rowing heroes, Britain’s sailors excelled on the water in 2012, winning more medals than any other nation, including one gold.
Do the waterways and yacht clubs of Norfolk ring out with the names of Ben Ainslie and Nick Dempsey?
“No. I can’t think of anyone ever having mentioned to me ‘oh I’m doing sailing because of the Olympics’” explained Rollesby Broad Sailing Club commodore Mike Horwitz.
“Maybe sea sailing may have been affected, but as an inland club on the Broads, I can’t say it had any effect whatsoever. I wish it had!
“Actually Covid, as bad as it has been, has done us more good than anything - that’s down to people not going away so they stayed home and did a lot more sailing.
“It’s good they had somewhere to go, and something active and healthy to do in the fresh air.”
Perhaps after all the promises of London 2012, and all the investment, and then the privations and frustrations of the pandemic, that is the inspiration we have taken away from the last ten years.
We want to do something healthy in the fresh air.
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