When it was announced that London would host the monumental Olympic Games in 2012, it promised to transform the deprived East End into a symbol of the future and inspire a generation to take up sport.

A decade on, two sports clubs near the Olympic Park in Stratford have spoken to this newspaper about how the games impacted them.

Newham Recorder: The Olympic Stadium and the Orbit TowerThe Olympic Stadium and the Orbit Tower (Image: Matt Deegan)

For Newham Boys Boxing Club, coach Paul Maskel said: “We didn’t benefit at all from the Olympics.”

Founded in 1981, the gym trains around 170 under-18s and has produced nine national champions this year alone.

Paul started boxing at the club when he was 13 and later returned to coach.

“The club keeps kids off the streets,” said Paul, by running campaigns such as Knives Down Gloves Up to discourage young men from joining gangs.

But despite doing social good, the boxing club says it did not gain much from the Olympic spotlight.

Newham Recorder: The stadium for the 2012 London Olympics starts to take shape in StratfordThe stadium for the 2012 London Olympics starts to take shape in Stratford (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

In the year London hosted the games, the club was threatened with closure after its 20-year-lease on the Old Bath House ended.

The club opposed the move and managed to hang onto the site.

Looking back, Paul thinks enthusiasm for boxing after the games should have been harnessed, and amateur facilities built.

“We’re screaming out for somewhere for these kids,” said Paul, claiming he receives calls every day from young aspiring fighters wishing to join up.

Newham Boys Boxing Club's problems do not end there, however. Whenever there is a football or music event at London Stadium, the club says it shuts because event-day parking restrictions prevent parents from parking nearby.

Having unsuccessfully applied for parking permits, the club has instead adjusted its schedule to fit with the stadium's agenda.

A London Stadium spokesperson said it venue is "keen to support local sports clubs and community groups", so it publishes the dates for stadium events well in advance.

A Newham Council spokesperson said the main roads to the London Stadium are controlled by the local authority.

"Parents are allowed to pick up and drop off as long as they are with the vehicle and the vehicle is not left unattended," they said.

"Council parking enforcement does not control the events at the stadium but will continue to control parking around the event area to ease traffic flow and prevent dangerous parking.”

The boxing club, however, are not alone in feeling sidelined by the events.

Newham and Essex Beagles Athletic Club train at London Marathon Community Track (LMCT), but regularly face interruptions whenever there is an event at the stadium.

Newham Recorder: Joel Pascall-Menzie runs the 100m for Newham and Essex BeaglesJoel Pascall-Menzie runs the 100m for Newham and Essex Beagles (Image: Newham and Essex Beagles)

“They’ve got their commercial programme and we have what’s left,” said Tony Shiret, the club's chair.

With notable alumni including Mo Farah and Christine Ohuruogu, Tony said the London Olympics has given the 500-strong athletic club some legacy benefits that cannot be overlooked, including training time at the LMCT.

Newham Recorder: Jonathan Broom-Edwards from Newham and Essex Beagles celebrates his silver medal in the men's high hump at the 2016 Rio Paralympic GamesJonathan Broom-Edwards from Newham and Essex Beagles celebrates his silver medal in the men's high hump at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

It has also enabled access to funding so the club can develop its academy programme.

For Tony, it’s the athletic governing bodies that have ultimately failed to deliver a long-term vision following the Olympics.

The London Stadium spokesperson said: "One of the great legacies of 2012 is the amazing public transport links so people can leave their cars at home."