GLL in the saddle of Copper Box Arena

Article posted by Coliseum, February 28^th, 2024

Image: LLDC

A decade on from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) has appointed the charitable social enterprise GLL the operating contract for the Copper Box Arena at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, continuing to build on the venue’s hugely successful legacy.

‘QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK’ stated that the Copper Box Arena is the Park’s most versatile venue, with a maximum seating capacity of 7,500 and the ability to stage elite sports, esports as well as other live cultural and entertainment events. The Arena has established itself as the United Kingdom’s home of esports and base to the London Lions basketball team and the London Pulse netball team.

London (UK)-based the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) is an organization established in 2012, replacing the Olympic Park Legacy Company and the planning powers of the Olympic Delivery Authority. It was formed as a Mayoral Development Corporation under the powers of the Localism Act 2011.

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The LLDC operates the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park through a variety of service contracts that have been let from the Park’s inception, some prior to London 2012 and some as the Park has evolved into its current form post-Games.

Spread across 560 acres of stunning parklands, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is home to beautifully landscaped gardens, historic waterways, famous sporting venues, a vibrant art and events program and the ArcelorMittal Orbit visitor attraction. As the new heart of East London, the Park is still transforming, providing homes, jobs, and an unrivaled education and cultural district.

The London Legacy Development Corporation promotes and delivers physical, social, economic and environmental regeneration in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the surrounding area by maximizing the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

London (UK)-based the Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) is a charitable social enterprise that operates leisure, health and community services in the United Kingdom. The GLL was established in 1993 and is owned by its staff. The GLL’s purpose is to improve the physical, mental and social wellbeing of the local communities.

Since 2013, the GLL has built the Copper Box Arena into a sporting and community legacy venue, which is not only recognized as an elite sporting venue but also somewhere that enhances the health and wellbeing of the local residents.

Operating under the Better brand, the GLL manages 250 public sport and leisure centers, 113 libraries and 10 children’s centers in partnership with 50 local councils, public agencies and sporting organizations.

The 7,500-capacity Copper Box Arena is a multisport venue built for the 2012 Summer Olympics, located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, England (UK).

The 62,500-capacity Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a sporting complex and public park in Stratford, Hackney Wick, Leyton and Bow, in East London (UK). It was purpose-built for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, situated adjacent to the Stratford City development (mixed-use development).

The London Lions are a British professional basketball team based in Stratford, East London, England, and compete in the British Basketball League (BBL – a men’s professional basketball league in Great Britain and represents the highest level of play in the country) as well as the EuroCup (an annual professional basketball club competition organized by the Euroleague Basketball). The Copper Box Arena serves as their residence.

The London Pulse is an English netball team based at the Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London.

‘QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK’ further stated that the London Legacy Development Corporation, which operates the Park, is leasing the Arena under a new operating arrangement that will build on the venue’s first successful decade.

Major music events, esports tournaments and sporting events are held at the Copper Box Arena.

A series of exciting events for 2024 and beyond will shortly be announced, while in the short term the London Lions home fixtures, the London Youth Rowing championships and the launch of the London Pulse netball season are scheduled for March 2024.

The Arena also houses an 80-station gym and the new contract announcement coincides with confirmation of a £600k investment into the site’s gym and fitness class spaces – in response to increased demand from a growing local population. The upgraded gym facilities will include a new state-of-the-art functional suite and an expansive new fitness class program. A wide range of memberships will be on offer including discounts for the local residents and concessionary memberships.

Opined Edward Fane, Head of Venues, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, “The Copper Box Arena is established as a thriving venue for national and international events as well as community sport, health and fitness. We are excited to continue working with the GLL to build on the success of the last 10 years and bring in more high-profile events. This exciting high value contract is critically important to the long-term legacy of the London 2012 Games. Now working alongside the new cultural district at the East Bank the Copper Box Arena links the sporting legacy of 2012 with the cultural and community events too and this is something we are keen to see flourish. We are delighted to be continuing to work in partnership with the GLL to bring more high-profile events to the Park and build on the Arena’s hugely successful first decade.”

Put in Peter Bundey, GLL’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), “We are delighted to have retained the contract for the Copper Box Arena, safeguarding the venue’s Olympic legacy for years to come. It is an extraordinary facility that brings thousands of people together to enjoy sports and community activities and is an integral part of the regeneration of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. We have strong relationships with the world-class organizations, clubs and event promoters who call the venue home – so this extension of our partnership with the LLDC ensures continuity, sustainability and further benefits for the community users, spectators and sport.”

The GLL will work with the CBRE Global Workplace Solutions – a commercial real estate services and investments leader – to ensure the highest standard of maintenance for the venue, bringing improvements to the technical operations, including health and safety, extended asset performance/lifecycle, energy efficiency, and staff training.

Dallas (US)-based the CBRE Global Workplace Solutions (GWS) is a division of CBRE that offers integrated solutions for corporate real estate leaders. The GWS helps clients of all sizes with facilities management, project management, advisory, and transaction services.

Dallas (US)-based the Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis (CBRE) is an American investment firm and commercial real estate services company. The CBRE is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm based on 2022 revenue.

Alongside GLL, the CBRE is a signatory to the Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) Buy Social Corporate Challenge, a groundbreaking initiative which will see the CBRE commit to engaging with more social enterprises as part of a collective £1 billion spend with the social enterprise suppliers.

The Buy Social Corporate Challenge (BSCC) is an initiative by the Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) that encourages businesses to use their procurement spends to have a positive social and environmental impact. The BSCC was launched in 2016 and is backed by the UK Government’s Inclusive Economy Unit.

London (UK)-based the Social Enterprise UK is a community interest company founded in April 2002 in the United Kingdom. It functions as the national membership and campaigning body for the social enterprise movement in Britain.

Concluded Wes Montgomery, Business Unit Director at CBRE, “We look forward to working with the charitable social enterprise GLL as part of their operational contract at the leading events venue Copper Box Arena. We share GLL’s service excellence ethos and also have a strong relationship with the other social enterprises in our supply chain. In partnership, we will provide strong support for the facility and its many and varied users.”

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