London 2012: Newham schools get Olympic Games ticket windfall

Newham’s state schools have been handed 4,174 free Olympic and Paralympic Games tickets to share between them.

The schools, which joined the London 2012 ‘Get Set’ education programme before the end of last year, became eligible for a share of 125,000 tickets.

Most of them have been allocated for events in venues on the Olympic Park, with the remainder for events in other areas of the capital, such as the beach volleyball at Horseguards Parade and archery at Lord’s cricket ground.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said: “These tickets will ensure that in every part of Newham, someone you know will be heading to an event at one of our terrific Olympic and Paralympic venues.

“These are London’s Games so it’s only right that the next generation are right at the heart of the action.”

The tickets are donated through a levy placed on Olympic hospitality packages sold by Prestige Hospitality.

Locog chairman Seb Coe added: “These tickets will ensure that 100,000 or so young people will be at the heart of the action, seeing world class sport.”