In December 2023, Spirit of 2012 awarded its final grant to Elevate, the youth leadership programme associated with the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), to build the London 2012 Legacy Partnership Project. As part of the process, Spirit of 2012 commission Elevate to undertake peer-to-peer research exploring how young people in East London, particularly those from traditionally underrepresented communities, perceive the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Co-designed and delivered by young people, with support from community engagement specialists Kaizen Partnership, the team used a range of methods including outreach, interviews, online surveys and focus groups to engage with 886 residents between the ages of 14-34 from the four local boroughs.

The research revealed:

  • 55% of 16–24-year-olds believe the Games benefited their community
  • 40% feel they have personally benefited from the legacy
  • 65% are optimistic about their future, but many face daily challenges related to crime, mental health, and lack of opportunity
  • 53% of young people feel a part of the local community, however 24% do not, indicating a need for greater social cohesion
  • Strong demand for more job opportunities (90%), skills training (88%), and mental health support (88%)

Young people highlighted the positive impact of regeneration in east London, praising improved transport, new public spaces, and world-class sports venues such as the Aquatics Centre and Velodrome. They also noted that the arrival of institutions like UCL East and Here East had opened up new educational pathways and job opportunities that will help to shape the future workforce.

The report also emphasises the need for accessible, practical initiatives to improve prospects for young people, particularly around job opportunities, mental health, and skills development.

For the Elevate programme and other local initiatives, this research offers a roadmap to ensure that create more inclusive, accessible, and supportive environments that allow young people to thrive.

The research comes after Elevate used Spirit’s funding to establish the Elevate Fund, which then awarded £83,751 to 31 projects that help young people and youth organisations from the London 2012 host boroughs of Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

Ruth Hollis, Chief Executive of Spirit of 2012 said: “The promise that the London 2012 Games would “Inspire A Generation” is one that formed a core part of Spirit of 2012’s ethos. It is heartening to see that local young people in East London still feel the benefits of the London 2012 legacy more than ten years after the Games, though it is clear that challenges still remain to be addressed.

The Elevate Fund enabled young people to lead on projects that face these head on and provide opportunities for those in their communities that need it most, and has shown that continued commitment to, and funding of, the legacy of major events can and should continue to impact the lives of people living in the host boroughs.

 

Lola Martinez, Chair at Elevate Board said: “We’ve seen firsthand the talent, resilience, and ideas in our communities and believe that, with continued support, this generation can transform East London. We are so grateful to the funding we have received to date but are now calling on local partners, funders, and policy makers to help grow this model so we can expand youth-led research and initiatives. Only through collaboration and co-design can we build solutions that are inclusive, equitable and truly reflective of young people’s needs.”

Layla Conway, Head of Education, Careers and Youth Engagement at LLDC said: “These programmes delivered by Elevate demonstrate the power of youth-led design and governance. Through community-rooted research and grassroots funding, young people are not only beneficiaries of legacy investment, they are leading it. It is crucial that their voices remain central to any future plans for the area and we are committed to working with them to ensure that youth voice remains central to our mission.”

The full research report can be downloaded here and you can view a film highlighting some of the work of grant recipients here.

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