The trustees and staff of Spirit of 2012 are delighted to share their refreshed strategy with partners, grantees and all who came about unlocking a lasting social legacy from events. You can download our strategy Happier People, Happier Places here.

Since 2012 Spirit’s funded work has improved wellbeing for over 2.8 million people and 40,000 volunteers. Our grantees have worked with people and their communities. We take happiness seriously. Our purpose remains to fund projects that increase the happiness of individuals and their communities.

Our commitment to our mission remains rooted in the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. With our remaining time and resource we will continue to build sustainable social legacies by harnessing the power of events to improve wellbeing and how people feel about themselves, other people and their communities. We will do this by committing our remaining National Lottery funds by the end of 2022 and then move to spend down by 2026.

Ruth Hollis, CEO of Spirit of 2012 said:

“In preparation for commiting Spirit of 2012’s remaining resources by 2023 and spending down by 2026, we will be putting our priorities into action over the coming three years.

We will continue to collect and share insights and best practice from the work we fund with a renewed focus on understanding who is gaining the most from the work our grantees deliver to improve wellbeing and how we can remove the barriers to participation for those who aren’t taking part and benefiting as they should.

To do this we are looking for:

  • Organisations wishing to dig into the evidence gaps with us
  • Partners who want to learn with us
  • Funders who want to invest alongside us to amplify our impact

We  would love to hear from you if you are interested in a conversation about working with us to create Happier People, Happier Places. Please don’t hesitate to reach out: [email protected].”

 

Bill Morris LVO, an expert adviser to the Olympic Committee said:

“There are so many positive echoes from London 2012 and we tend to focus immediately on the bricks and mortar of redevelopment in London’s East End, or on the marked rise in inward investment, but what Spirit of 2012 captures and promulgates so effectively are the less tangible but even more potent human legacies that inspirational events can create.

Capturing the essence of the remarkable atmosphere of London’s Olympic and Paralympic Games and using it to promote healthier communities around the UK must surely be one of the most valuable and enduring impacts of London 2012.”

 

Jane, Lady Gibson, Chair of Spirit of 2012 said:

“It is a privilege and an honour to be leading Spirit of 2012 as it enters its final 6 years. Spirit’s mission – to harness the power of events to enable people to participate in a range of activities to connect with one another and build communities – chimes with my own values and experience of the deeply transformational effect of ‘joining in’.”