It should come as no surprise to learn that the London 2012 Olympics Budget (currently standing at £12BN, including running costs) is set to be broken, as the costs for security spiral.
Anti-terrorism measures will cost an estimated £1.5BN, they were originally "budgeted" at being £500M.
Among the extra measures being considered, to protect athletes and spectators from an attack, include drafting in the Army. Military helicopters will patrol overhead and jets will be on stand-by to protect a no-fly zone over the Olympic stadium in Stratford.
The security operation is expected to be the largest in peacetime Britain, the event is being classed as a major terrorist target.
A cynic might suggest that the police are using the event to push the Home Office into paying for security measures over and above the needs of the Games, such as demands for a new police command and control centre.
Surely not!
The irony is that there is in fact, as yet, no costed security plan. Seemingly one won't exist until the end of this year.
It would not be unreasonable to ask at this juncture how it is that the organisers can claim that the budget is £12BN, when there is in fact no budget for over 10% of the estimated current costs of the games.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
The Austerity Games
The ongoing turmoil in the financial markets and credit crunch has negatively impacted the ability of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to raise funding to build the 2012 Olympic Village.
The ODA says that has only raised half of £1BN needed for the athletes' village and media centre in Stratford, East London.
The shortfall may have to be taken out of the Olympics contingency fund.
As noted many time before the budget for the games, even before the credit crunch, was a work of fantasy; ballooning from £3.4BN to currently £12BN (including £2BN running costs).
The last time that the games were held in London, in 1948, the UK was experiencing an austerity economy as the country struggled to get back on its financial feet after the war.
It seems that the organisers of the 2012 Games may have to adjust their expectations accordingly, to an "austerity" mindset.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
The ODA says that has only raised half of £1BN needed for the athletes' village and media centre in Stratford, East London.
The shortfall may have to be taken out of the Olympics contingency fund.
As noted many time before the budget for the games, even before the credit crunch, was a work of fantasy; ballooning from £3.4BN to currently £12BN (including £2BN running costs).
The last time that the games were held in London, in 1948, the UK was experiencing an austerity economy as the country struggled to get back on its financial feet after the war.
It seems that the organisers of the 2012 Games may have to adjust their expectations accordingly, to an "austerity" mindset.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Polish Emigration Threat To Games
An exodus of skilled Polish workers, leaving recession hit Britain for their motherland, is threatening the Olympic building programme for the 2012 games.
There are currently not enough skilled British workers to replace them. The government, ever keen to maintain its "employment figures" has neglected the skills base of the UK; as employing people flipping burgers is not necessarily as "value adding" as a skilled trade.
In order to combat the expected skills shortage, a fast-track training scheme is being put in place to teach British workers basic construction skills, including how to use a digger.
The Olympic Delivery Authority, the London Development Agency (LDA) and other partner organisations will spend £20M (23% of their training budget) on this scheme.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
There are currently not enough skilled British workers to replace them. The government, ever keen to maintain its "employment figures" has neglected the skills base of the UK; as employing people flipping burgers is not necessarily as "value adding" as a skilled trade.
In order to combat the expected skills shortage, a fast-track training scheme is being put in place to teach British workers basic construction skills, including how to use a digger.
The Olympic Delivery Authority, the London Development Agency (LDA) and other partner organisations will spend £20M (23% of their training budget) on this scheme.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Perils of Advertising
The Guardian warns that the rules governing the use of words in advertising associated with the Olympics are draconian.
Quote:
"Under the 2006 London Olympic Games and Paralympics Games Act, normally innocuous words such as 'Game', 'Medals', 'Gold', '2012' and 'Summer' cannot be combined in any form of advertising around the Olympics, with anyone flouting the law facing a fine of up to £20,000."
How did it come to pass that words such as "game" and "summer" are forbidden?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Quote:
"Under the 2006 London Olympic Games and Paralympics Games Act, normally innocuous words such as 'Game', 'Medals', 'Gold', '2012' and 'Summer' cannot be combined in any form of advertising around the Olympics, with anyone flouting the law facing a fine of up to £20,000."
How did it come to pass that words such as "game" and "summer" are forbidden?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Credit Crunch
The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics had been banking on rising property prices to encourage the private sector to bankroll the ever increasing budget for the games (currently estimated at around £12BN, but more likely to hit £20BN by 2012).
However, as a result of the ongoing credit crunch, property prices are falling.
Paul Deighton, CEO of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, is of the belief (according to the Chicago Tribune) that the crunch is a temporary setback.
Optimism is all well and good, but anyone who believes that the current turmoil in the world's financial markets is only temporary is one sandwich short of a picnic.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
However, as a result of the ongoing credit crunch, property prices are falling.
Paul Deighton, CEO of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, is of the belief (according to the Chicago Tribune) that the crunch is a temporary setback.
Optimism is all well and good, but anyone who believes that the current turmoil in the world's financial markets is only temporary is one sandwich short of a picnic.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Challenge Ahead
Sebastian Coe, chairman of the organising committee for the 2012 London Olympics, spoke about the responsibility of hosting 2012 Games:
"It is a massive responsibility.
We don't find it daunting.
I think that I can only relate it to sitting in a stadium when I was a competitor watching an outstanding performance in my own event. I didn't feel cowed by it. I went out and wanted to emulate it or even do better.
Beijing has delivered a spectacular games and we will also deliver a spectacular games."
Will they be on budget though?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
"It is a massive responsibility.
We don't find it daunting.
I think that I can only relate it to sitting in a stadium when I was a competitor watching an outstanding performance in my own event. I didn't feel cowed by it. I went out and wanted to emulate it or even do better.
Beijing has delivered a spectacular games and we will also deliver a spectacular games."
Will they be on budget though?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Olympic Scam
The BBC have uncovered an alleged scam whereby hundreds of East European workers have been conned by a promise of non-existent jobs at the London 2012 Olympic site.
550 Slovakians paid cash deposits of £600 to convicted fraudster Nigel Lewis, who is based in East London. They were promised accommodation on a cruise ship in Docklands, and jobs on the site of the Olympic Village.
Mr Lewis has insisted that he made no profit from his UK Cruise Line venture.
The BBC will show the programme today, in which they claim that Mr Lewis advertised for catering staff and tradesmen to work in East London.
After deposits were transferred to Mr Lewis's firm UK Cruise Line Ltd in 2006, the BBC alleges he vanished.
BBC London tracked him down to a hotel in Dartford, on 1 September, and quote him:
"I've worked on this project almost 12 months solid and I've got nothing for it, just heartache."
He also said he had intended to buy three cruise ships and secure jobs at the Olympic site but that "it just went out of control".
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
550 Slovakians paid cash deposits of £600 to convicted fraudster Nigel Lewis, who is based in East London. They were promised accommodation on a cruise ship in Docklands, and jobs on the site of the Olympic Village.
Mr Lewis has insisted that he made no profit from his UK Cruise Line venture.
The BBC will show the programme today, in which they claim that Mr Lewis advertised for catering staff and tradesmen to work in East London.
After deposits were transferred to Mr Lewis's firm UK Cruise Line Ltd in 2006, the BBC alleges he vanished.
BBC London tracked him down to a hotel in Dartford, on 1 September, and quote him:
"I've worked on this project almost 12 months solid and I've got nothing for it, just heartache."
He also said he had intended to buy three cruise ships and secure jobs at the Olympic site but that "it just went out of control".
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
London Stadium To Be Flattened?
Reports that the London Olympic stadium will be demolished after the 2012 Games, and replaced by a Premier League football ground, have been "denied" by the London Development Agency (LDA).
They would of course deny those reports, as demolition would blow an enormous hole in their claim that there will be a "legacy" of the games. It has already been mooted on this site in November that the stadium will be used by a football club.
Boris Johnson's office has stated that he was "not aware of any plans to demolish the stadium."
That of course does not mean that there are not plans to demolish the stadium.
The LDA's "denial" states that "no stone had been left unturned" in exploring all the options for the venue, and the drawing up of a range of possible scenarios was part and parcel of the legacy planning process.
The astute amongst you will realise that this is not a 100% denial, merely a sop to the press to try to convince us that they are trying not to demolish it.
At the end of the day, money talks louder than words; if the football clubs come up with enough money, the LDA will demolish the stadium.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
They would of course deny those reports, as demolition would blow an enormous hole in their claim that there will be a "legacy" of the games. It has already been mooted on this site in November that the stadium will be used by a football club.
Boris Johnson's office has stated that he was "not aware of any plans to demolish the stadium."
That of course does not mean that there are not plans to demolish the stadium.
The LDA's "denial" states that "no stone had been left unturned" in exploring all the options for the venue, and the drawing up of a range of possible scenarios was part and parcel of the legacy planning process.
The astute amongst you will realise that this is not a 100% denial, merely a sop to the press to try to convince us that they are trying not to demolish it.
At the end of the day, money talks louder than words; if the football clubs come up with enough money, the LDA will demolish the stadium.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
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