Isle of Wight - 2011
Legacy – Isle of Wight Host to the 2011 NatWest Island Games
Q. What do you see as the biggest legacy of hosting the NatWest Island Games on your island in 2011?
A. 2011 was a very different story to 1993, with extensive press, TV ane radio cover. In consequence the legacy has been a greater incentive to see our young athletes competing at the Games as a high level objective for them to achieve
Q. What were the impacts of hosting the NatWest Island Games on sport (including venues) and physical activity on your island?
A. 2011 was again very different to 1993. Venues were much more town-based and the Games Organisers had plenty of support from the holiday camps etc. The local population was accustomed to seeing the athletes around the towns and welcomed them. Transport arrangements were good and there was a lot of movement.
Q. Did hosting the Games in 2011 influence the popularity and importance of the NatWest Island Games on your island?
A. In 2011 the Island population rose brilliantly to the occasion and the profile of the Games was never higher. Support at all the venues was excellent and everyone knew what the NatWest Island Games was about.
Q What were the economic impacts of hosting the NatWest Island Games on your island?
A. The atletes were everwhere and a rough estimate would suggest that the Games were worth about 2-3 million pounds to the local economy
Q. What were the social impacts of hosting the NatWest Island Games, particularly in terms of volunteering, the cultural sector and community engagement?
A. 2011 brought us floods of volunteer helpers who still talk about their experiences with delight. The Community engagement with the 2011 NatWest Island Games was superb and large crowds supported us beyond our wildest expectations. The schools took a great interest in the Games and the arrival of athletes from so many cultures and backgrounds. Many school projects were based around those countries and people. For the three years before the Games of 2011 we ran a schools sporting day in which the different schools took on the identity of a particular Member Island and, apart from the day of competition, they researched their Island in detail.
