MD2932 Headline event for the 10th anniversary of the Olympic Games

1.1.    The 10-year anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games occurs over the summer of 2022. This milestone provides a unique opportunity to promote the ongoing regeneration of the QEOP, including by highlighting and celebrating the legacy of the Olympics and Paralympics; as well as to raise London’s profile as it reopens to international tourism and considers mounting a new bid for a future Olympic and Paralympic Games. There is a strong expectation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that London will mark the occasion.

1.2.    It is usual for former host cities to run events and programmes to mark key anniversaries of the relevant Games. In 2020, this included marking the 20th anniversary of the Sydney Olympics, the 40th anniversary in Moscow and the centenary of the Antwerp Games. 

1.3.    Anniversary programmes generally include some combination of public/stakeholder events; a dinner or reception bringing together key individuals and groups associated with the games; and marketing and awareness-raising activities. They are positive opportunities to raise the profile of Olympic venues and post-Games regeneration, awake or rekindle the Olympic spirit enjoyed by people during the Games, and re-engage relevant stakeholder groups and the general public. The creation of seminal moments at key sites to capture media and public attention, and the promotion of strong legacy stories, are seen as core elements of a successful programme.

1.4.    Planning for the 10-year anniversary of the London Games is being led by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC). This is in line with LLDC’s statutory purpose to secure the regeneration of the area for which it has responsibility – essentially the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP). Successful regeneration requires awareness and interest in the area from investors and developers, as well as from potential residents and users of QEOP, which in turn requires QEOP to have a strong public profile and to be seen as an attractive and thriving leisure destination and place to live. It is also dependent on positive relationships with surrounding communities. The legacy and stories of the London 2012 Games are a key selling point for QEOP, and the anniversary offers a highly visible means of showcasing current regeneration projects and promoting future opportunities. 

1.5.    The 10th anniversary of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place at a critical moment as the capital’s visitor economy continues to reopen; London considers a future Olympic/Paralympic bid; and the development of new neighbourhoods and cultural and education facilities at QEOP gathers pace. It therefore provides a well-timed opportunity to raise the profile of London and the QEOP internationally and to engage local communities in its regeneration, together with a reminder, as the capital recovers from the pandemic, of the positive public sentiment generated by the Games.

1.6.    The anniversary would help to communicate the positive and ongoing legacy of the Games for London, particularly around the delivery of new housing and infrastructure; the successful community programmes taking place on and around QEOP, including support for young people; the growing success of QEOP as a destination; the development of the East Bank culture and education district; and the continuing inward investment in the area. In addition, it would provide opportunities to engage the full range of London’s diverse communities, including those closest to QEOP; and to celebrate the thousands of volunteers who supported the delivery of the Games and many of whom have continued to provide support at QEOP and across London ever since. 

1.7.    As part of its planning for the anniversary, LLDC has put in place a year-long programme that will bring a broad range of pre-planned events together under the Olympic/Paralympic Anniversary banner (using the tagline #PassTheBaton), with an accompanying marketing campaign. The key events included in the programme, all of which are already funded outside of this proposal from LLDC’s core budget, are as follows:

• February – launch of the QEOP Innovation District
• March – QEOP Youth Conference
• May – opening of the ABBA Voyage arena
• June – official opening of the QEOP Good Growth Hub
• 23 July – Great Get Together (LLDC’s main annual community event – see also para 1.14 below)
• July/August – East Bank Summer School and STEP programme
• September – opening of UCL East facilities at East Bank.

1.8.    Other moments relevant to the regeneration and activation of QEOP over the course of the year could also be brought into this programme, including major milestones for housing and other development projects on the park; the relaunch of stadium tours in April; and the Queen’s Baton relay in June. The East Bank partners will be commissioning and delivering related creative activity. There will also be major sporting events and concerts/live events that could be connected, subject to the organisers’ agreement (although that cannot be guaranteed). This will be considered as part of the overall planning for the anniversary celebrations.

1.9.    While this programme will provide a range of opportunities to highlight ongoing regeneration programmes and engage local communities and other existing stakeholder groups in the anniversary, it does not include a headline event, linked to the anniversary itself, that would raise the profile of QEOP more broadly, including by securing the interest of national and international media, and help to publicise its status as a vibrant and successful new leisure and residential centre. In addition, this programme alone would not satisfy the wider ambitions of core stakeholders such as the IOC, the International Paralympic Committee, the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association. This latter is particularly important in the context of a potential future Olympic bid, which might further promote investment in and support the regeneration of QEOP.

1.10.    For this reason, LLDC has developed proposals for a headline ‘Heroes’ event (‘the Event’), and associated activities, including an expansion of the pre-existing Great Get Together. This would deliver the reach and impact sought and help raise the national and international profile of LLDC’s and the GLA’s work associated with the Olympic legacy, including the ongoing development of QEOP, as well as enabling the level of engagement of local communities in the anniversary to be strengthened. LLDC’s estimated cost for the Event and associated activities is £375,000, which cannot be funded from within LLDC’s existing core budget. This Mayoral Decision therefore proposes that the GLA provides LLDC with £375,000 as part of its general revenue budget provision to fund this activity.

1.11.    In addition, and taking account of current high levels of cost inflation in the construction and events sectors, £40,000 will be held by the GLA as contingency to manage any cost increases of the Event, or support other activity related to the Event that may be required as detailed plans for the celebration are developed. Should LLDC require the use of any or all this contingency (and subject to the GLA’s agreement and subject to the funds still being available), the necessary funding would be provided to the LLDC by way of a transfer under section 121 of the GLA Act (see legal comments in section 6). 

1.12.    The proposed Event will take place on Friday 22 July 2022 (shortly before the opening ceremony anniversary on Wednesday 27 July 2022), which will allow it to attract widespread media coverage and bring QEOP to the attention of potential future investors and residents, as well as of local communities. The Event will bring together around 150 ‘Heroes’ drawn from across the legacy areas – Olympic and Paralympic sports, communities, and civil society, including volunteering, culture, innovation, diversity, business – and would culminate with a core iconic moment. It will include a Mayoral address, alongside celebrating stories and narratives showing the ‘passing of the baton’ from those involved in the 2012 Games to a new generation, including individuals living around and working on QEOP or benefitting from the Park’s sporting facilities.

1.13.    To create opportunities for wider engagement, there will be potential to identify some or all of the Heroes through a public nomination process, and the LLDC will invite local schools and community groups to the event itself (together with key stakeholders, including the IOC). The event would also be designed to incorporate Paralympic elements, including (but not restricted to) Paralympian Heroes. 

1.14.    The provision of GLA funding to the LLDC would also allow the LLDC’s programme for the Great Get-Together, which is scheduled to be held the day after the Event on Saturday 23 July 2022, to be expanded into one of the largest community events held at QEOP since the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

1.15.    In line with previous anniversary events in other cities, the proposed arrangements also include a reception for Olympic/Paralympic key members, such as officials from the IOC/BOA/IPC/BPA and other stakeholders (including from the local area). At this reception, the Mayor would have the opportunity to speak and set out the impact of the Games on London and on the development of QEOP and the surrounding area, and to promote the city’s aspirations to host again. This could be held at the ArcelorMittal Orbit or another iconic venue close to the Olympic Park.

1.16.    By way of background, the LLDC is also seeking additional funding for a temporary Olympic anniversary exhibition on QEOP, which would bring items from the Olympic and Paralympic Games together with footage and other materials highlighting memorable stories, key moments, the impact on individuals and communities, and legacy successes. This would provide a focus for the anniversary over a longer period (April to September), and potentially establish the foundations for a more permanent exhibition to complement QEOP’s other cultural facilities in the longer term. 

2.1.    The proposed objectives for the anniversary programme are to:

• promote the regeneration and development of QEOP as a location for new residential communities and raise its profile as a sporting and cultural destination
• create a forward-looking iconic moment that will capture national/international attention, showcasing London and QEOP as attractive destinations for tourists, events, talent and investment
• demonstrate progress against Olympic and Paralympic legacy commitments
• involve local communities and young people in marking the anniversary, including recognising the contributions of volunteers to the Games and more widely (including during Covid), and in the wider regeneration of QEOP
• satisfy IOC expectations and support any future Olympic bid.

2.2.    In addition, the anniversary celebration must work from a communications perspective. It needs to deliver regional, national and international press and broadcast media coverage (especially given aspirations to bid for a future Olympics); and to set out a positive, forward-looking message, rather than focusing solely on historical events and legacy commitments. In order to achieve maximum impact and profile, the programme needs to coalesce around one key moment, as it is unlikely that audiences and media will be engaged enough to sustain a long campaign.

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority the Mayor is subject to the public-sector equality duty and must have ‘due regard’ to the need to:

• eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation
• advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not
• foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. 

3.2.    The duty involves having due regard to these matters as they apply in the circumstances, including having regard to the need to: remove or minimise any disadvantage suffered by those who share or are connected to a protected characteristic; take steps to meet the different needs of such people; and encourage them to participate in public life or in any other activity where their participation is disproportionately low. This can involve treating people with a protected characteristic more favourably than those without a protected characteristic. Relevant protected characteristics under section 149 of the Equality Act are age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

3.3.    The proposed events will include contributions from across London’s diverse communities, including particularly from the boroughs that surround the Park, which incorporate many significantly disadvantaged neighbourhoods. In addition, in developing the expanded Great Get Together, LLDC will seek to engage the full range of groups and communities from the local area in shaping the content for the event, to ensure the programme meets the needs of the community as a whole, including young and older Londoners, those from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBT and disabled Londoners. Through both the content of the event and the use of targeted marketing and outreach, LLDC will seek to attract an audience that represents the diversity of London and the local area.

3.4.    The GLA will also work with LLDC to ensure that the event(s) and all promotional materials are fully accessible and in line with the public-sector equality duty and reflect the diversity of London’s population.

Key issues and risks

4.1.    Careful commercial management will be required by the LLDC to ensure the Heroes event remains on budget, given the significant increases in infrastructure and stewarding costs that are being felt across the events industry as a result of the pandemic. The LLDC has considered this in the development of its budget, and has contracted suppliers in place. This could also impact on the other opportunity areas listed in section 1.14.

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

4.2.    The London Economic Recovery Framework highlights the importance of the return of large-scale events as London’s economy reopens, and there is the need to promote the capital as an attractive destination for visitors. A high-profile event to mark the anniversary of the London 2012 Olympics will signal continued commitment to major sports and culture events, increasing domestic and international exposure for London as world-class destination for culture, sport and tourism.

4.3.    The opportunity to include community engagement and community celebration as key parts of the anniversary celebrations is also aligned with the Building Strong Communities mission of the London Recovery Board. This will be delivered through both the expanded Great Get Together and involving local communities, civil society groups and former Games Makers in the Heroes event, as well as in the broader anniversary programme. 

4.4.    The Mayor has a statutory duty to deliver a Culture Strategy. This proposal supports the vision and priorities set out in this strategy, Culture for all Londoners (published in 2018), especially the following policy actions:

• bring Londoners together through major cultural programmes, festivals and events
• work with artists and cultural organisations to promote London as an open and welcoming city
• promote the capital’s cultural riches to Londoners and tourists.

Consultations, impact assessments, data protection, health and safeguarding

4.5.    This proposal has been developed by LLDC and reflects their ongoing engagement with local communities and partners in and around QEOP. 

4.6.    No specific impact assessments have been carried out. There are no data protection, health or safeguarding implications stemming from this decision.

4.7.    There are no conflicts of interest to declare for those involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.

5.1.    The cost to the LLDC for the baseline events under the Olympic anniversary banner (as described at para 1.7) is contained within the revenue budget for the LLDC that the Mayor proposes to fund as part of the 2022-23 GLA Group budget process.

5.2.    The £375,000 additional funding for the LLDC, proposed in this decision, for a headline event and associated activity to celebrate the 10-year anniversary, and the £40,000 for a GLA held contingency, will be drawn from one-off funds earmarked in the GLA’s Business Rate Reserve, allocations from which will be confirmed as the 2022-23 Group budget is finalised. 

5.3.    Further opportunity areas of activity have been identified, but these would only proceed if they can be fully funded from external sources.

Proposed transfer under section 121 of the GLA Act

6.1.    This Mayoral Decision proposes the GLA transferring funds to the LLDC, via a statutory transfer under section 121 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (“GLA Act”), for the LLDC to deliver an event and associated activity to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Under section 121(1) of the GLA Act, the Mayor may pay grants towards meeting expenditure, other than capital expenditure, incurred or to be incurred by the LLDC for the purposes of, or in connection with, the discharge of the functions of that body. A grant under section 121(1) must not be made subject to any limitation in respect of the expenditure which it may be applied towards meeting save that revenue funding may be used only for revenue expenditure.

6.2.    The proposed expenditure to be incurred by the LLDC (using the funds transferred by the GLA) must be for the purposes of, or in connection with, the discharge of the LLDC’s functions. Under section 201(1-2) of the Localism Act 2011, the LLDC’s object is to secure the regeneration of its area and the LLDC may do anything it considers appropriate for the purposes of its object or for purposes incidental to those purposes. 

Contingency support 

6.3    It is also proposed under this Mayoral Decision that the GLA holds £40,000 as contingency to support other activity related to the event that may be required as detailed plans for the event are developed, and/or to manage unanticipated cost increases.

6.4    Should this contingency be required by LLDC for the delivery of the Event, or any associated activity, and subject to the GLA’s approval and to funds being available, it should be provided to the LLDC by way of a transfer under section 121 of the GLA Act. It should be noted, however, that a grant under section 121(1) must not be made subject to any limitation in respect of the expenditure which it may be applied towards meeting save that revenue funding may only be used for revenue expenditure.

6.5    If for any reason it is proposed that any contingency funds are to be used by the GLA itself (under its general power contained in section 30(1) of the GLA Act), section 31(1A) of that Act will apply. Under section 31(1A), the Mayor must seek to secure that the GLA does not incur expenditure in doing anything which is being done by a Mayoral Development Corporation (i.e.: the LLDC); although this restriction does not prevent the GLA from incurring expenditure in co-operating with, or facilitating or co-ordinating the activities of the LLDC (see: section 31(6) of the GLA Act). Accordingly, the GLA’s expenditure of the proposed contingency fund activity to support other activity related to the event is only permissible where (i) the GLA has sought to secure that it (the GLA) will not be incurring expenditure in doing anything which is being done by the LLDC; or (ii) the GLA will incur expenditure in co-operating with, or facilitating or co-ordinating the activities of the LLDC concerning the Event. 

Delegation 

6.7    Under section 38 of the GLA Act, the Mayor has the power to agree to the delegation proposed in this Mayoral Decision.