Mayor praises local sports enthusiasm and announces schools tickets for 2012 Games

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and London 2012 Chairman Lord Coe visited Chiswick Community School this week (Thursday February 2nd) and announced that 158 tickets had been allocated to the school for pupils to visit the Games.

The school has 1,300 students, so the allocation means that roughly one in eight children will get a ticket for an event either at the Olympic Park or another iconic venue such as Wembley Park.

Other schools throughout the borough, who signed up to the 'Get Set' programme, a partnership between the Mayor and LOCOG will hear about their ticket allocation today. Over 80 per cent of the schools in Hounslow (57 schools) applied for a share of the 125,000 tickets through the London 2012 Ticketshare scheme.

The Mayor who was accompanied by local MP Mary Macleod and Mr. Tony Arbour of the Greater London Authority (GLA), arrived at Chiswick rail station and was recognised by pupils from the Community School,as they boarded their trains home.

When he arrived at the school Sports Hall, he was welcomed by the Head Teacher Tony Ryan and deputy-head James Whiting. He then enthusiastically joined in a short basketball session with members of the school team along with Lord Coe, who recalled that he had been born nearby at the former Queen Charlotte's Hospital and that his family had lived in Hammersmith.

Boris and Seb play basketball

Boris on the school playing field

The Mayor told ChiswickW4.com that he was very impressed by the enthusiasm and the skills of the Chiswick students and he was delighted that some of them would be going to the Olympics, an experience which they would remember for the rest of their lives. Asked if he would be returning to visit Chiswick as part of his campaign for re-election as Mayor, he replied " very likely".

The Mayor and his entourage then left for Brentford where he had another engagement at the Waterman's Theatre.

In the last three years, 2,419 schools in the capital, attended by more than 90 per cent of the city's 10-18 year old students, have signed up to the London 2012 'Get Set' scheme under which they become eligible for a share in the tickets allocated. Around 23,000 tickets have been allocated for events in the Olympic Park , including the stadium for track and field sports, the Aquatics Centre and Basketball Arena. A further 18,500 are available for events such as Beach Volleyball and Archery and 18,000 children will get the chance to visit Wembley Stadium to watch Olympic football.

Boris and Mary Macleod with school staff

More than 5,00 tickets will be available for sports at venues on the outskirts of the capital, including rowing at Eton Dorney, canoe slalom and spring at Lee Valley, and mountain biking at Hadleigh Farm, Essex. The remaining 60,000 will give students access to the 2012 Paralympic Games athletics events at the Olympic Stadium.

The decision on how the tickets will be distributed will be taken by the schools themselves.

February 4, 2012