Emma McClarkin MEP hosts Olympic visit for European politicians

East Midlands Conservative MEP Emma McClarkin hosted a delegation of eight Members of the European Parliament to London last week to showcase British sport and to visit the Olympic venues. The delegation consisted of members of the Culture, Education and Sport Committee in the Parliament and contained MEPs from Belgium, Spain, France, Finland and Denmark.

The MEPs met with Huge Robertson, Minister for Sport, to discuss the London legacy project and other issues relating to sports funding. They visited the Barbican Centre to experience some of the projects involved with the Cultural Olympiad and were treated to a tour of the magnificent Barbican Theatre. The delegation also visited Tottenham Hotspur Football Club to hear about the clubs’ charitable foundation and the great work it is doing in the local community. Richard Scudamore, CEO of the English Premier League, was also in attendance and spoke in depth about his vision for an expansion of community outreach programmes delivered by professional football clubs.

The group was also privileged enough to tour the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with a brief from the Director of Design for the park, Alison Niimo. There the members were told about the regeneration of the area and the sustainable nature of the build.

However, the highlight of the trip was a visit to a grassroots tennis project in Haringey hosted by the Lawn Tennis Association. Members were introduced to Robby Sukhdeo, the director of the tennis facility, and had the opportunity to observe the impact the project has had on the local community.

Emma said:

“Hosting the Olympics next year will not only be a fantastic event for British people, it will be an opportunity to show the rest of the world how important sport is in our country.

“With the London legacy project, the Cultural Olympiad, and new volunteering programs, we will also have the chance to demonstrate that sport can have an impact on all of our lives, whether we take part in it or not.

“It was truly inspirational to see the impact some of these community projects can have on anti-social behavior, educational achievement and future job prospects. They provide fantastic examples of how effective investment and dedicated individuals in grassroots sports can really change a community for the better.

“I hope that my European colleagues enjoyed their visit to the UK. Europe is playing an increasingly large role in sport policy and I want to clearly highlight the importance of sport to British people.

“Where Europe can add-value, by supporting volunteering and encouraging development at grassroots level, we should work with the EU but we should also be vocal in defending our right to set sport policy in the UK as we see fit.”