Balfour Beatty London Youth Games
The Balfour Beatty London Youth Games - Europe’s largest youth sporting event.
Objective
To encourage participation in sport by young people in London and advance the development of sport in the London Boroughs, promoting a sense of identity between the participants and the Boroughs they represent.
To increase the number of volunteers involved in the Games, with specific opportunities in event management, officiating and media training.
To enhance the experience of participants, their coaches and supporters.
Approach
Limelight Sports provides project management and event delivery of more than 60 different competitions, across 30 sports. Limelight Sports works directly with London Youth Games Ltd and has built and continues to maintain excellent relationships with key Games stakeholders such as Balfour Beatty, Thames Water, 33 Local Authorities, London Councils, Sport England and the Greater London Authority.
Outcome
The London Youth Games are a unique season of events at the heart of youth sport in the Capital, involving all 33 London Boroughs and 26 National Governing Bodies. The Games are free and open to all young people, aged between 7 and 17, living in or going to school in the Capital. In 2009 over 45,000 participants began the journey to represent their local borough in one of 60 competitions across 30 sports. In 2010, 48,000 young Londoners will be exposed to the Games and the structured framework to start, stay and succeed in sport which is driven by London's local authority sport development departments.
The Games offers competitive opportunities for participants of varying abilities and experience and has been a stepping stone in the careers of international and Olympic athletes. The Hall of Fame, made up of former athletes and established in 2009 includes Linford Christie, Steve Backley and Luol Deng as well as two of Great Britain's gold medallists at Beijing 2008 Mark Hunter and Christine Ohuruogu as well as Paralympian Dervis Konuralp
Limelight Sports is responsible for the sourcing and securing of suitable venues, managing relationships with Competition Directors and provide the technical equipment required to host the Games and provide creative solutions to enhance the experience and brand the sites appropriately.
“Each year, Limelight Sports' event management knowledge and experience plus their stakeholder management have proved invaluable."
Anthony Kendall, LYG Organising Committee Chairman
For more information on Balfour Beatty London Youth Games, please go to: www.londonyouthgames.org
