05.09.12
LLDC announces £2m Paralympics legacy programme
An annual festival of disability sport will be launched in the Olympic Park, as the London Legacy Development Corporation announces a £2m fund to create a legacy for the Paralympic Games.
The fund will help to create new homes, public spaces and sporting venues and provide opportunities to try a range of sports, including wheelchair basketball and boccia.
A new map will outline the accessible features of the Queen Elizabeth Park and the LLDC’s contractors will aim to employ disabled people around the park.
Daniel Moylan, chairman of the LLDC said: “Thousands of people will be inspired to get involved in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and we want to make sure there are opportunities for everyone.
“Just as we have set the blueprint for legacy, we are also setting the standard for providing accessible venues and parklands, along with employment and training opportunities for disabled people.”
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: “The Paralympics have captured our hearts and minds and the success of ParalympicsGB provides us with new heroes to emulate.
“With the Olympic Park set to become London’s newest neighbourhood, today’s announcement shows how the new facilities, training and job opportunities, and sports events will be accessible and open to everyone long after the Games have left town.”
Xavier Gonzalez, chief executive of the International Paralympic Committee, said: “By working with the operator of the venues on the Park now, they are ensuring that Paralympic sports will continue to be at the heart of the sporting legacy.”
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