We are working to ensure that records created before, during and after the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Cultural Olympiad are well managed, permanently preserved and appropriately shared.
Effective management of these records will:
- support openness and transparency for all
- support effective delivery of the Olympic sports and cultural events across the UK
- reduce reputational, financial and operational risks
- guarantee legal and regulatory compliance
- answer to public accountability and scrutiny post-2012
- secure a long-term legacy for the benefit of current and future planners, policy makers, researchers, learning and education professionals and the general public
Preparing for 2012
The 2012 Olympics, Paralympics and Cultural Olympiad represent a key moment in our cultural history. We are helping the many organisations involved to work together to build a comprehensive record for future generations, from government decision-making and delivery to the contribution of the private sector, local authorities and communities across the UK. To help us achieve these goals, the sector is working in partnership on a range of projects:
The Record
The strategy to manage the Olympic records is called 'The Record', reflecting the sporting, social and cultural significance of London and the United Kingdom hosting the games and Cultural Olympiad. It is being delivered in partnership with the Government Olympic Executive (GOE), and in collaboration with the London 2012 organising committee, British Olympic Association and colleagues across government and the cultural and archives sectors.
Find out more about the activities, and the archives and records that are already being collected, and view a range of records we hold on the modern Olympic and Paralympic Games and Cultural Olympiad, on our website The Olympic Record.
The documents below provide information on how the work of The Record is structured and how it will be delivered.
The Record: Archives Delivery Strategy (PDF, 0.35Mb)
The Record 2012: one page strategy summary (PDF, 0.06Mb)
The Record: legacy, records and archives road map with milestones (PDF, 0.26Mb)
The Record: information for regional, local and specialist archives (PDF, 0.05Mb)
Map of organisations involved (2007) (PDF, 0.10Mb)
Stories of the World
Stories of the World is part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and aims to welcome the world to Britain by using our rich museums, libraries and archive collections. These cultural institutions are working with young people to tell inspirational stories about the UK's relationships with the world.
The People's Record
In 2010 an online space - The People's Record - was launched to showcase and sustain the results of museum, library and archive led projects supporting community groups to have their say and tell their stories as part of a comprehensive record of the games.
Our Sporting Life
Our Sporting Life is a unique and ambitious celebration of British Sport. It is the first project of its kind to salute sport from grass roots to the Olympic podium. It will culminate in the world's greatest exhibition on the history of sport as the Olympic and Paralympic Games are launched in London in 2012.
Useful links
- Before, during and after: making the most of the most of the London 2012 games
- London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG)
- Olympic Delivery Authority
- Department for Culture, Media and Sport
For more information please contact the head of collections and knowledge at The National Archives.
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