Share in 2012 'gold dust', Jowell tells council chiefs

Tessa Jowell today urged all councils to become involved in the 2012 Olympics to share in its "gold dust".

The Olympics Minister said she acknowledged councils were struggling financially and insisted benefits of the Games should not be confined to the five host boroughs.

Speaking at a Local Government Association conference she said: "The Olympics is economic gold in a time of economic need.

"It can be a shot of the arm for every participant. The money being spent should be used as investment rather than cost.

"After all, we will be left with new housing and the biggest new park in Europe for 100 years.

"This is an extraordinary opportunity but if you don't get involved now you may find you have missed the chance."

Ms Jowell said 98 per cent of contracts involved in building the park had been awarded, with 54 per cent of the companies coming from London and the others from the rest of the UK.

She said 70,000 volunteers were being recruited across the country to help promote the Games.

Ten per cent of these will be people with little or no qualification in a scheme called "personal best".