At the Beijing 2008 Olympics closing ceremony, when Mayor Boris Johnson lifted the Union flag, the aspirations and opportunities associated with the 2012 Olympics for London and UK plc became a reality.
In South West London, Wimbledon is already a global brand, dominant on the world stage for just two weeks of the year. In 2012 the All England Club will not only hold The Championships, but will also give the site over four weeks later to the Olympic Delivery Agency to host the Olympic Tennis event. This provides a window for Wimbledon to really benefit from the guaranteed increase in visitors and publicity.
Global brand to Local stand
As the local Chamber of Commerce, we needed to respond to this one off opportunity and, in 2007, launched a campaign to put Wimbledon on the map in the run up, during and beyond the Olympics. Called Wimbledon Going for Gold the campaign brings together local stakeholders including our MP, local government, employers, community and voluntary groups and providers of public services, all of whom want those with a stake in the town to benefit through the shared aspiration of improving their town centre and bringing new business and employment opportunities to the area.
The importance of such a campaign, recognising that Wimbledon is an Olympic town and Merton an Olympic borough, is particularly relevant in an economic recession. A recent Competitiveness Study on the town highlighted challenges experienced by many retail destinations that struggle because of a number of factors, including their identity, traffic congestion, variety of offer, parking facilities and lack of green space. With the support of the London Borough of Merton and private sector backers, Wimbledon Going for Gold addresses these challenges but also builds on the enormous strengths Wimbledon has to offer. Our campaign is a model for bringing together all those who have an interest in a local town as a retail, leisure and business destination to take forward a range of co-ordinated initiatives that will have a sustainable impact on the locality. With funding from both the local authority and the private sector we are working towards a gold standard and aim for Wimbledon to Get Gold in 2012.
