Olympic Champions

My Friday started with an early train to Birmingham for the launch of five new campaign posters. At the Bingley Hall in Hockley the bright posters were unveiled by students.

The eye-catching posters read ‘Vote Labour for us’ in child’s handwriting, with pledges on Sure Start centres, child tax credits and pensioners; a powerful reminder of what’s at stake in this election. Several Ministers spoke passionately about what these pledges mean. After the launch I spoke to local student Olivia. Hear her interview here.

Then it was on to Loughborough University – catching a lift on the Labour Party press bus.  Here we saw amazing gymnasts give demonstrations on the pommel horse, high bar, and rings. The investment in facilities at Loughborough has meant that Team GB, Japanese and Singaporean Olympic teams will train here in 2012.At the High Performance sports centre, the Prime Minister launched the Labour Sporting Manifesto.

The manifesto sets out guarantees of 5 hours a week of competitive sport for all under-19s in full time education as well as the creation of a national network of 3,000 Olympic after-school Sports Clubs for teenagers by 2011. Other measures in the manifesto include 10,000 new Volunteer Coaches by 2012 and more free swimming sessions for children and the over-60s.

The Prime Minister spoke along with local MP and candidate for Loughborough, Andy Reed, and Olympics minister Tessa Jowell before taking questions from  Loughborough students. Brown quoted Eric Liddell – the Olympic medal winner portrayed in ‘Chariots of Fire’. Liddell said that ‘the first half of a race is about outer, physical strength, the second half is about inner strength’. Then I travelled with Tessa Jowell on to Leicester to meet Special Olympians. The Special Olympics was hosted in Leicester in 2009 and Tessa was keen to make sure that lessons were learnt for future events. During a round table discussion with local candidates Liz Kendall (Leicester West) and Peter Soulsby (Leicester South) she heard from 21 year old Zara Jurenko, Lee Penfold other ambassadors for the Special Olympics. Zara has won gold medals for the UK all over the world and described how participation in the 2009 Leicester Special Olympics had increased her confidence. She now helps with women’s sports events to encourage others to become more active.

On the way back to London I interviewed Tessa (listen to the audioboo above) who described her campaign day and her pride in the Sporting Manifesto’s commitments. You can see some of my photos from the day (and of the campaign trail) by visiting the Labour Party Flickr group here.
 
To view a full copy of the Sports manifesto, please click here.