The Olympics – London 2012…
Just fantastic! This is wonderful news for us in the UK.
A few years ago, I used to be Vicar of the parish now due to become the Olympic Village. A tough, run-down area of the East End of London, Stratford New Town was statistically the 6th most deprived parish in the capital city. It was hallmarked by racial tensions and violent behaviour and was not the type of place you would choose to live!
Over the past ten years, however, there has been an enormous amount of inward investment and Stratford has gradually become transformed. To be sure, there are still many, many challenges to face – but so much has been achieved and so much more will be achieved in the community over the next 7 years.
What is so exciting for me is the fact that the visionary leadership of the Government and the Mayor of London in regenerating Stratford New Town has finally paid off. Tony Blair may have his fair share of critics. Ken Livingstone (Mayor of London) certainly has his fair share of critics too! I don’t agree with everything they do but I believe that this is a tremendous endorsement of the vision and work that has taken place over the last few years.
What is the moral of this? Well, for me it is simply this. After having had first hand experience of working for change in that most difficult of communities over a period of seven years, I am enthused and encouraged by the fact that Vision can really affect Change.
I am thrilled for the UK. I am thrilled for Stratford. It will not take too long for the cynics and the nay-sayers in the cynical British media to take the shine off this. But for the moment, let’s just celebrate and rejoice in the amazing amount of Change and Regeneration that is to come.
And of course, at TomorrowToday.biz (UK), we will be actively searching for a part to play in that…
An Olympic Celebration!
