Laver chief visits Olympic Park

Published Date: 07 October 2010 Sheffield Star

The managing director of a leading Sheffield company joined a Yorkshire delegation on a trip to Olympic Park to gain an insight into how the county will benefit from London 2012.

Andrew Laver of Arnold Laver joined athletes, business professionals and representatives from cultural organisations in the county to find out how London 2012 is changing lives in Yorkshire.

The trip was organised by Yorkshire Gold, the regional committee for London 2012.

Arnold Laver have won a lucrative contract to provide timber for high-profile venues all over the park, including the athletes' village and the race track inside the Olympic velodrome.

The Olympic contract is another notable feather in the cap for a company that employs 550 staff in 12 sites across the UK.

In total Arnold Laver will provide more than 50 per cent of all timber for the Olympic Park and managing director Andrew Laver is proud of his company's achievement.

Mr Laver said: " As a result of our success in supplying the Olympic Park we have significantly raised our profile in the South East of England.

"Project managers from across the country are getting to hear about Arnold Laver and the Games have been our springboard into the South East."

The South Yorkshire contingent also included two young people from the region who are benefiting from the London 2012 Inspire Programme which recognises non-commercial projects inspired by London 2012.

Sam Carter, who won a trip to South Africa after excelling in Rotherham's Inspire-recognised Going for Gold project – which encourages more young people to get involved in sport – was joined by Ben Palmer of Sheffield Hallam University who is hopeful of becoming a part of the media team at the Games.

Sporting representatives for the day were Leeds boxer Nicola Adams who has just returned from the world championships with a silver medal, 14-year-old Kirklees swimmer Matthew Johnson – who is o faster than Michael Phelps at the same age – triple world record holding wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft, 13-year-old Bradford diver Sam Thornton and Jessica Fletcher, who is one half of the top-ranked junior badminton team in the UK.

Andrew, Sam, Ben and the rest of the delegation met up with triple-jump world record holder Jonathan Edwards before visiting the Olympic Stadium, aquatics centre and Olympic village at the park.

Chair of Yorkshire Gold Gary Verity said: "I have with me a collection of outstanding individuals from the county who are determined to seize the opportunities created by London 2012.

"Our sportsmen and women excelled in Beijing and I'm certain the athletes with us today and all our Olympians will do a great job in 2012. I'm also very proud to say that companies from across the county have played a big role in helping construct this fabulous venue."