Abstract
Brittain and Mataruna present the initial findings from a research project which is evaluating the social legacy of London 2012 in the Host Boroughs. The chapter presents findings from interviews and documentary analysis in order to compare key statistical indicators before and after the 2012 Games including crime and employment rates, sports participation and perceptions of disability. It also compares official government and organising committee findings with the actual lived experiences of local residents as highlighted through focus-group interviews. The conclusions highlight the importance of listening to local people who live in areas impacted by the Games in order to best understand their long-term needs and their anxieties surrounding the hosting of such sports mega-events. The need for long-term job opportunities rather than temporary short-term jobs and the inclusion of the local culture in the preparations for the event itself and the legacy programmes following on from the event can help overcome feelings of marginalisation felt by the local community.
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Notes
- 1.
The research project ‘From the East End of London to the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro: The relevance and transferability of the social legacy programmes of London 2012’ was carried out as part of a Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship by Dr Leonardo Mataruna from Brazil and supported by Dr Ian Brittain as his Scientist in Charge.
- 2.
A sixth Host Borough (Barking and Dagenham) was added by the UK government and the organising committee much later in the planning process after the Games had been awarded (GOV.UK; https://www.gov.uk/government/news/east-village-big-winner-at-london-planning-awards), but was not included in this research.
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Brittain, I., Mataruna-Dos-Santos, L.J. (2017). Social Legacies of Olympic and Paralympic Games in East London. In: Cohen, P., Watt, P. (eds) London 2012 and the Post-Olympics City. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48947-0_13
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