Jon Grubb

Last summer’s Olympic Games may seem a distant memory now, but the effects of the event are still with us today.

Nationally, there can be little doubt the legacy of the games is very real indeed. A staggering 1.4 million more people are playing sport than in 2005 when London won the bid. Perhaps more importantly, the number of young people playing sport every week has topped 3.8 million.

That encouraging trend is being reflected at a local level too – with the Lincolnshire Sports Partnership (LSP) at the heart of efforts to inspire all ages to get active.

Sportivate has inspired 4,555 young people from our county to get involved in sport and find an activity they want to stick with, and through Sports Makers, 669 local people have volunteered to help others to get involved in sport in their community.

Tens of thousands of young people have had fresh opportunities to play competitive sport thanks to the School Games in Lincolnshire which saw 1,000 young athletes from across the county come together to compete in 15 different sporting events earlier this month.

Sport England’s Iconic, Inspired Facilities and Protecting Playing Fields legacy programmes have improved more than 1,300 sports clubs, facilities and playing fields across the country with around £110 million invested.

These are just a flavour of the activities, projects and programmes carried out by the LSP to ensure the games’ legacy is both sustainable and significant. But we also want to ensure that while we widen participation we also help create the next generation of elite athletes.

A record amount of public funding — £347 million from the exchequer and The National Lottery — is being invested to support Britain’s summer Olympic and Paralympic athletes’ preparations for Rio 2016. £2 million will also be going to primary schools in Lincolnshire to improve the quality of PE and sport available for their pupils

The LSP is doing its bit too. Through our Lincolnshire Elite Athlete Programme (LEAP), we provide vital funding for local talented athletes who are our medal hopes of tomorrow.

Though the success of the all of this work hinges on partnership working with local businesses and local authorities. While the LSP does get funding from Sport England we rely on sponsorship and project funding from councils and companies.

If you would like to support our drive to get Lincolnshire active, involved and excelling then please contact Nina Craggs on 01522 585580 or email [email protected].

It’s certainly been a year to remember for sport in Lincolnshire.

We’ve joined the rest of the UK in enjoying a fantastic Olympics, we’ve celebrated the torch procession through the county and we’ve even seen success from our very own athletes.

There’s little doubt 2012 will be remembered as the year when sport as a whole provided inspiration for the nation.

Behind the scenes the Lincolnshire Sports Partnership has been working hard to ensure the dreams of a successful Olympics became a reality.

The LSP was heavily involved in helping to organise and publicise the torch procession and hosted the Egyptian Paralympic Team – helping them to a handful of medals.

And we have made sure that the growing appetite to watch and participate in a wide variety of sport and activity has been supported.

The Lincoln 10k, the cycle Grand Prix, a sports zone at the Lincolnshire Show, National Join In Weekend, the West Lindsey Run Series to name but a few have all achieved huge success with help from the LSP.

The culmination of a great year for the LSP came at the annual sports awards glittering dinner where a record number of local business leaders, sports club organisers and athletes celebrated a fantastic year at the Epic Centre.

But while 2012 has been a pivotal year for sport the real challenges start now.

If we are to ensure the legacy of London 2012 both survives and thrives then we must work even harder in 2013. The LSP will be doing everything within its power to make certain that legacy burns brightly.

We have already developed a detailed strategy – Inspiration to Participation – due to be launched in the New Year. We will continue to support our budding elite athletes through the LEAP programme so we can see the nation’s sporting prowess continue to grow.

Just as importantly, though, are the projects designed to motivate non-athletes to get and stay active or enable others to do so. Sportivate, Jog Lincolnshire and Sport Makers are just three of the programmes that will be on the agenda of the LSP next year designed to encourage everyone to be involved in some kind of sport or activity.

Perhaps most importantly the LSP itself is an embodiment of teamwork – displayed within its own staff and through joint working with many partners around the county.

The LSP’s success depends on its partners and supporters. Without them nothing could be achieved. They rightly share in our achievements and we look forward to another year of positive, fruitful and successful partnerships.

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— Jon Grubb is the Chairman to the Board of Directors at Lincolnshire Sports Partnership