Chelsea makes plans for London Games

Chelsea Football Club today (Thursday, August 21) responded to the Mayor of London’s “Call for Ideas” to create an Olympic legacy by announcing the start of its own plans to support legacy in the run-up to 2012 and beyond. Mayor Boris Johnson made his rallying call at a speech in London House in Beijing where he is visiting the 2008 Olympics. Chelsea is an official London House Ambassador during the Beijing Olympics. The club will be working in a variety of different areas to support the idea of legacy by creating new programmes in the capital as well as expanding existing ones. These will be part of its wide-ranging Corporate Social Responsibility programme and additionally there are also plans for some innovative cross sport co-operation involving athletics and swimming in the local communities close to Chelsea. Communications and Public Affairs Director Simon Greenberg, who is currently in Beijing as part of Chelsea’s Ambassador role, said: “Chelsea has always been a fervent supporter of London 2012 and is honoured to be an Ambassador for London, both in the past and here in Beijing. We understand fully the importance of a social, economic and sporting legacy especially for young people, following the Olympics, and will be helping in our own small way towards this. “We are delighted to announce today that Chelsea will be the exclusive London football partner in the work of an organisation called Tsu’Chu Biz that develops young entrepreneurs of the future from disadvantaged backgrounds and communities and encourages them on to further and higher education. “By early 2010 we hope to be supporting 40 of these courses in 8 schools across the 5 Olympic boroughs involving 1,000 young learners aged 14-19 years old. This is in addition to our current CSR programme that sees 350,000 children in London and the south-east participate in our Football in the Community schemes many of which promote social inclusion, anti-weapons initiatives, health, fitness and education. “We are also planning what we believe will be two unique schemes of cross-sport co-operation involving swimming and athletics in our local area.“If London businesses and organizations all help in any small way they can, this could have a big collective impact on the different areas of legacy. "Everybody in Britain has been rightly celebrating the achievements of Team GB in Beijing and it is important we build on this."These programmes are only the starting point for Chelsea and by 2012 we envisage a series of initiatives which we hope will make a contribution." Chelsea have been working with the major London organizations for several years now. The club has been nominated as an Ambassador for London on two previous Mayoral trips to China in 2006 and India in 2007. A picture taken at Stamford Bridge features in the London Icons exhibition in London House. Chelsea is a platinum partner of Visit London and a member of the business organization London First. Chelsea worked with Visit London and the NFL for last year’s Wembley American Football game by hosting the New York Giants at our Cobham training ground. Chelsea was also the first Premiership football club to support the London Olympic bid and helped launch the London 2012 brand logo with Jose Mourinho as brand ambassador. And we have an excellent relationship with the British Olympic Association most notably in the area of sports medicine. One of Chelsea's specialist doctor's, Ian McCurdie, is now the BOA's Chief Medical Officer and the club's doctor Bryan English has long standing ties with Olympic sports. The club’s CSR and Football in the Community programmes are very active in the borough’s of Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Wandsworth. Our aim with our Global Charity Partner Right To Play is that by the London Olympics, the charity’s programmes will reach 5 million children worldwide and help deliver on the London 2012 promise to inspire children around the world through sport. Right To Play is a “recognized organization” of the International Olympic Committee. Chelsea's Millenium and Copthorne Hotels at Stamford Bridge will be part of the hotel pool for the 2012 Olympics.