100 Southwark schools and colleges given Olympic tickets
Published 7 February 2012
Nearly 100 schools and colleges across Southwark have been given more than 2,500 tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics this summer.
Under the Ticketshare scheme launched in 2010 by the Mayor of London and Olympics organising committee Locog, 125,000 free tickets were made available to schools and colleges.
The aim of the scheme was for one in eight children in the capital between the ages of 10 and 18 to receive a ticket to the Olympic or Paralympic Games.
A total of 2,589 tickets will be allocated to 91 schools and colleges in Southwark. Some 30 secondary schools and colleges of all types will receive 1,963 tickets while 61 primary schools will receive 626 tickets.
Schools and colleges to secure tickets include Gloucester Primary, Harris Academy, Peckham, Tower Bridge Primary School, Cherry Garden School and Bacon's College.
The tickets will differ per school, but across London and Southwark they will be broadly split between Olympic Football, the other 25 Olympic Sports and the Paralympics.
To be eligible, school and colleges had to join Get Set, the official London 2012 education programme.
Next month they will be given full details about their tickets including the sports, session date, time and venue and will be advised about the number of accompanying adult tickets the school will need.
Schools will then select which of their students attend. If a school cannot use their tickets for any reason, they will be able to return them to LOCOG.
A letter from Boris Johnson and Locog chair Seb Coe to Southwark's council leader Peter John announcing the ticket allocation said: "The response from schools across London and across Southwark to apply to join the Get Set Network has been extraordinary.
"Each borough has helped to promote the scheme to their schools and colleges, and we are grateful for your own efforts and those of your London 2012 lead officer to encourage applications.
"We are delighted to confirm that 91 schools and colleges in your borough have secured 2,589 tickets. Of these, 30 secondary schools and colleges will receive 1,963 tickets, and 61 primary schools will receive 626."
The letter added: "Thank you again for your help in promoting Ticketshare with us. We will continue to work with you on all strands of this project to make these truly everyone's Games."
Veronica Ward, Southwark's Cabinet Member for the Olympics said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to know that so many young people in Southwark will have this chance in a lifetime to attend an Olympic event.
"The opportunity to watch the world's best athletes will be an incredible experience for our pupils and students which we hope will help create a lasting legacy in Southwark for generations to come."
Catherine McDonald, Southwark's Cabinet Member for Children's Services, added: "There has been a phenomenal level of enthusiasm so far from our schools and colleges for the Olympics and we think they have earned the right to be at the games.
"I'm sure they will continue to embrace the Olympic spirit and help us and the rest of the borough to celebrate the games when they come to London in the summer."
For more information on how Southwark is celebrating the Olympics visit London 2012.
