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Trafford Communications Team
Quay West
Trafford Wharf Road
Manchester
M17 1HH

communications@trafford.gov.uk
0161 912 4080

9 October 2012

Nine Trafford based projects which were set up as a result of the Olympics are set to make history in the Olympic Park.

The London 2012 Inspire projects will have a special plaque on the "Wall of Inspiration" which is a large plaque (5.5m x 1.5m) that is permanently housed in the Copper Box - one of the Olympic Park venues that will become a leisure centre for the local community after the Games.

It features 650 "mini-plaques" in which participating Inspire projects tell readers what they are most proud of. Visitors will be able to access the plaque from 27 July 2013.

The idea is to create a permanent record of the Inspire Programme and to acknowledge and thank the 2713+ Inspire projects for their contribution to creating a lasting legacy and recognise their part in making London 2012 a UK-wide success.

It also aims to educate the UK public and visitors about what the Programme achieved in connecting communities all around the UK to this once-in-a-lifetime event and demonstrate that the impact of the Games will last for years to come.

The news came as part of a special filmed message from Lord Seb Coe which thanked all those involved in the projects.

Executive Councillor Jonathan Coupe said: "Congratulations to all of the projects involved and such a well deserved and fitting accolade. I'm proud that so many people engaged in the community side of the Olympics and were able to be part of it in such a unique way. This just demonstrates that the Games really were everyone's Games and not just about sport."

Karen Shannon, from Lets Go Global who has two projects represented on the wall, said: "The Inspire Programme provided us with a real opportunity to be part of the Olympics giving us a new platform in which to engage the community in the work we do.

"It was also a great opportunity to network with other like-minded people and groups enabling us to deliver new projects and get involved in other programmes.

"Our 'All About Us' project connected people socially and digitally across Greater Manchester and the #media2012 project enabled us to link to others across the region and nationally. Both projects involved working with volunteer citizen journalists who reported on all things London 2012 through blogs and social media. The best thing was that people of all ages learnt new digital skills, made new friends, and the whole experience highlighted the importance of arts and cultural activity in Trafford and beyond."

The Inspire Programme celebrates projects that have been directly inspired by the Games to do something special in their local communities. They were awarded the Inspire mark for use on all of their project material and became part of the London 2012 Inspire programme's exceptional family of projects.

They are all united in their ambition to use the Games as the inspiration to make real and lasting change. The projects focussed on six key themes: business, education, sport, sustainability, volunteering and culture.

The Trafford projects represented are:

1. 'All About Us' - Lets Go Global- The project celebrated art, culture and sport and delivered a series of creative technology projects across Greater Manchester, connecting people digitally and socially to London 2012. It was inspired by the Olympic tradition of making the Games 'everyone's Games'. In 2012, All About Us presented a number of innovative digital art projects at Looping the Loop, which were especially created by communities and artists from across Greater Manchester. There were sculptures made from old bikes and recycled plastics, tricks and screen-based activity from young BMX flatland bikers, live broadcasts, films and dancers of all ages performing work that merged movement, play and technology. www.allaboutus2012.co.uk

2. 'Something to Chew on' - Manchester United Foundation -Coaches worked in schools every week for six weeks delivering a one hour classroom session and a one hour physical session. The classroom sessions covered the Food Standards Agency's key food competencies of diet and health, food safety, consumer awareness and food preparation. The physical sessions linked into body movement exercises focusing on fundamentals.

3. 'Trafford celebrating International Women's Day - led by Trafford Council and Trafford Community Leisure Trust - This project aimed to encourage women into sport and to improve their health and wellbeing through a global day celebrating achievements of women past, present and future.

4. 'Flixton Girls High School LGBT History Month Football Cup' - The project combined a six-a-side inter-school football tournament, engaging five secondary schools in Trafford with classroom based activity enabling young people to explore issues of homophobia and LGBT inclusion with sport. The day used the Olympic and Paralympic values to show how sport can become an inclusive environment for all.

5. 'Girls Football Programme' - MU Foundation - Every girl that was selected for Manchester United Centre of Excellence followed a Girls Development Programme. This was tailored to each player's individual needs. They trained twice a week and competed in fixtures every weekend. There were five age groups - U10/U12/U14/U16 and after that under 18's football was offered. The programme did not just focus on football; a lot of time was also put into teaching and coaching life skills as well as health, fitness and nutrition.

6. 'Trafford Community Games' - Trafford Community Leisure Trust - The Trafford Community Games was a one day multi-sport event made up of teams from six communities within Trafford. All participants were under 16 years old and teams represented their community in football, netball, sports hall athletics and dance. The event was hosted at Partington Sports Village, an Olympic training venue. Associated activities were also available on the day for spectators and supporters. The power of Olympic year was used to inspire young people who may not have otherwise taken part in organised sport. Lead up central venue competitions and training events increased the opportunities available to young people to participate in sports, including those they may not previously have been able to access. As well as participation opportunities, there was also the chance for members of the community to access coach education and leadership courses to assist with the competitions and Community Games event, and act as Team Managers and officials. This ensured that the opportunities on offer were sustainable in their area and provided new life skills and community development opportunities. The project was delivered by a steering group made up of Trafford Community Leisure Trust, Trafford Housing Trust, Adactus Housing and the Manchester united Foundation. This partnership approach drew on the specialisms of each agency and ensured that the young people and their communities were well supported.

7. 'Visible Dance' Trafford Council - Visible Dance enabled adults with learning disabilities to participate in weekly creative dance led by professional artists. Visible Dance showcased their achievements at Trafford's Open Dance Festival in July 2011 with 14 other organisations.

8. 'Looping the Loop'-Lets Go Global - Looping the Loop was the North West's opening event for London 2012. It was a chance for everyone to connect and celebrate a key moment in the Olympic year - the day the Torch Relay started its 60 day journey around the UK on 19 May 2012. The programme included: six new projects from communities living within 1.5 miles of the Old Trafford stadium, a selection of North West Cultural Olympiad projects, such as All About Us, a hypnotic Sufi dance performance by Turkey's Zia Aziz, adding an international dimension, and a spectacular moment at The Quays produced by Walk the Plank featuring an artwork designed by Matt English.

9. 'The Reporters Academy' - a group of young people from Greater Manchester based at Lancashire County Cricket Club who have been reporting on Pre-Games Training Camps.