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The Lee Valley Athletics Centre - a major new training and competition venue for the capital and the South of England located in Enfield, North London - was officially opened by Culture Secretary and Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell on Tuesday 16 January 2007.

The facility is the largest indoor and outdoor athletics centre serving London and the South of England and houses the only indoor 200 metre in the region. It also comprises a 130 metre sprint straight, permanent seating for 500 spectators and full indoor jumps and throws facilities. In addition, the Centre houses specialist areas for the delivery of sport science and medical support services by the English Institute of Sport. This provision includes rooms for physiotherapy treatment and medical consultation and also a strength and conditioning gym ensuring access to the vital professional support necessary for the development of elite athletes.

The Centre has improved training opportunities for London and the Region’s athletes preparing for the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and provides a new home for Enfield and Haringey Athletic Club. It also vastly improves facilities for community use by athletes of all abilities.

The £16million Centre fills a gap identified by UK Athletics in the provision of London’s athletics facilities and is part of a long term solution for athletics development in the region. The Centre has been funded by £4 million from the DCMS Capital Modernisation Fund, £7 million from Sport England (via the National Lottery), and £5 million secured by UK Athletics and the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA). Full revenue funding and long term management is also being provided by LVRPA, the landowner.

Designed by David Morley Architects the eye catching centre makes the maximum use of natural light and ventilation thereby saving energy and creating the optimum training environment for athletes.

The Centre brings a major regional training facility within reach of people across the South East that complements the existing major indoor athletics centres at Loughborough, Bath, Manchester, Cardiff, Sheffield, Birmingham, Brunel University and Grangemouth.

The Lee Valley Athletics Centre will be a focal point for indoor competition and community use and in the packed 2007 competition calendar, the Centre will host the semi final of the Indoor City Challenge on 28 January, Jumps International match between GB & NI and the Netherlands on 21 February and the British Masters Championships in March.

Tessa Jowell, Culture Secretary and Olympic Minister said:

“The Lee Valley Athletics Centre is a fantastic new facility which people of all ages and athletic ability will be able to enjoy. As our preparations for the 2012 Games continue, centres like this will be very important. This will be a hub of training and support for those talented athletes aspiring for the podiums of 2008 and 2012. And it will hopefully also inspire people of all ages, recreational and community users too, to get out and take part in sport. I want to thank all the partners involved who have made Lee Valley Athletics Centre a reality.’

Seb Coe, Chairman of London 2012, who ran for Haringey Athletics Club in the 1980’s, said:

“I am delighted that my former club has gained a world class new sporting home that will help it nurture new generations of Olympians and Paralympians. The Lee Valley Athletics Centre brings cutting edge facilities within reach of millions of Londoners and people in the South East. There has never been a better time for people of all abilities to give athletics a try.”

Shaun Dawson, Chief Executive of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority said:

“The Lee Valley Athletics Centre brings a world class training facility to the Lee Valley, a major location for growth and regeneration which is at the heart of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The Centre provides cutting edge facilities for both elite athletes and for schools, clubs and communities from across London, Essex and Hertfordshire. This is an excellent example of public bodies coming together to create a valuable resource that without partnership would not be possible.”

David Moorcroft, Chief Executive of UK Athletics said:

“The Lee Valley Athletics Centre provides a long awaited and much needed training and competition venue for London and the South of England. Our performance team are looking forward to using this world class facility as one of four performance centres for our elite athletes.

“I am delighted to see the centre open, thanks to the legacy money we secured in 2001. All credit to Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and the other funding partners for their persistence in developing this fantastic new athletics facility.”

Stephen Baddeley, Interim Chief Executive of Sport England said:

“The new athletics centre is a state of the art facility which we hope will provide an exciting range of opportunities for the local community and talented athletes.

“Sport England's investment in the project is part of our commitment to get the nation active through sport and athletics centres such as this provide an excellent environment for local schools and clubs and are an ideal way of engaging more people locally in sport as well as giving young athletes the chance to develop their talent. It is a fantastic example of placing sport at the heart of the community and we hope the community will be inspired to use the facilities for many years to come.”

Steve Backley, three times Olympic medalist and mentor to the Norwich Union GB & NI team said:

“I can appreciate what a massive difference the Lee Valley Athletics Centre will make to elite athletes living in London and the South East. As an athlete I would have loved to have access to this kind of facility.

“In my new role as mentor to the Great Britain & Northern Ireland team it is clear to me that the opportunities that this world class facility provides will undoubtedly help in our pursuit of medals at future Olympic Games.”

Tim Newenham, Regional Manager - London and East, English Institute of Sport said

“The opening of the EIS High Performance Centre at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre is a huge boost for athletes in the London region. The range of support services made available under one roof ensures that athletes training here will have the maximum chance of success on the world stage. We are particularly excited to be working with the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and UK Athletics to provide our best athletes with the highest level of support to ensure international success leading up to 2012.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority

The Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) is a statutory body responsible for developing regional centres for sport and a range of leisure facilities. It is responsible for managing and developing the 10,000 acre, 26 mile Lee Valley Regional Park - serving London, Hertfordshire and Essex.

LVRPA is creating a zone of sporting excellence throughout the Lee Valley. It has delivered the £16 million Lee Valley Athletics Centre and is working with partners to deliver a sustainable Olympic legacy for the region. LVRPA has also committed to fund the legacy Velodrome to create a regionally important VeloPark comprising all elements of cycling and the White Water Canoe Slalom Course as a regional centre for canoeing.

UK Athletics

UK Athletics is the National Governing Body for the sport of athletics. UK Athletics is dedicated to raising standards in every event, every region and every age group. UK Athletics works closely together with over 1,400 clubs, hundreds of schools and local authorities across the UK, and Home Countries athletics associations to grow talent and ensure that athletics remains the nation's favourite Olympic sport.

For more information about UK Athletics, visit www.ukathletics.net

Department for Culture Media and Sport

For more information about the DCMS please visit: www.culture.gov.uk

Sport England

Sport England is working to create an active nation through sport, providing advice to partners, investing in community sport and promoting sport and its benefits. Our aim is to increase the number of people participating in sport and active recreation by around 2 million by 2012 with specific focus on hard to reach groups that are currently under-represented. Sport England is a non-departmental public body that distributes both Lottery and public funding to develop community sport.

English Institute of Sport

The English Institute of Sport (EIS) was established in 2002 to provide elite athletes with local access to vital sports science and medical support services. The EIS provides athletes with the necessary support to aid their progression to the highest levels of international sport. The expert support services available include sports medicine, physiotherapy, sports massage, nutrition, psychology, physiology, biomechanics, performance analysis, strength & conditioning, performance lifestyle. The EIS is funded by the UK Sport Lottery Fund.

Materials:

In addition to this press release there is a briefing sheet available which gives more detail about the LVAC, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and images of the new Centre.

Contact details:

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Philippa Mathewson, Head of PR & Communications on: 01992 709881 or mobile: 07793 773 540
E-mail – pmathewson@leevalleypark.org.uk
or
Liz Loly, PR Officer on: 01992 709871 or mobile: 07920 563 971
E-mail - lloly@leevalleypark.org.uk

UK Athletics
Hannah Hore, Media Officer on: 0870 998 6701 or mobile: 07718 526 363
E-mail - hhore@ukathletics.org.uk

DCMS
Richard Warburton, Senior Press Officer on: 020 7211 6970
E-mail – RICHARD.WARBURTON@Culture.gsi.gov.uk

Sport England
Alex Russell on 020 7273 1866 or mobile: 07796 340 896
E-Mail – alex.russell@sportengland.org
or
Shareena Ali, London Communications Manager on: 020 7273 1963 or mobile: 07956 145 708