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         Mae Llundain 2012 wedi bod yn ddigwyddiad rhagorol ac wrth i ni baratoi i groesawu’n pencampwyr Cymreig adref i Gymru heddiw, mae’n briodol i ni ystyried etifeddiaeth y digwyddiad i Gymru. Y bwriad oedd sicrhau bod Cymru’n elwa ar y Gemau cyn, yn ystod ac ar ôl y digwyddiad, drwy wneud y gorau o’r effaith ar ein cenedl o safbwynt yr economi, chwaraeon a diwylliant, hybu twristiaeth a gwella enw da rhyngwladol Cymru. 

Fodd bynnag, yn gyntaf hoffwn longyfarch y 68 o bobl o Gymru a fu’n cystadlu yn y Gemau Olympaidd a Pharalympaidd am eu gorchestion rhagorol. Mae gemau cartref yn 2012 wedi ysbrydoli’r athletwyr, eu hyfforddwyr, eu timau cymorth a’r cyrff llywodraethu i greu perfformiadau cwbl unigryw a bydd Cymru, ynghyd â gweddill y DU, yn edrych ar 2012 fel carreg filltir yn natblygiad rhagoriaeth ar y maes chwarae. 

Nid oes amheuaeth bod Llundain 2012 wedi bod yn llwyddiant gwych ym maes chwaraeon. Ein cyfrifoldeb ni a’n partneriaid nawr yw manteisio ar y diddordeb sy’n codi a sicrhau bod pawb sydd wedi cael eu hysbrydoli dros yr wythnosau diwethaf yn cael y cyfle i gymryd rhan yn eu hoff gamp neu roi cynnig ar rai newydd. Gyda 30 o athletwyr o Gymru yn cymryd rhan yn Nhîm Prydain yn y Gemau Olympaidd a 38 yn y Gemau Paralympaidd, roedd gan Gymru lu o dalent a fydd yn ysbrydoli mwy fyth o bobl i gymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon – naill ai fel ffordd o gadw’n iach a heini, neu i gyrraedd y brig mewn chwaraeon ar lefel genedlaethol, neu ryngwladol hyd yn oed. 

Gyda’r Gemau ond newydd orffen, mae Chwaraeon Cymru eisoes yn nodi bod cyrff llywodraethu chwaraeon Cymru yn derbyn ymholiadau newydd gan bobl sydd am ddechrau neu ailddechrau cymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon, fel athletwyr, hyfforddwyr, staff cymorth neu wirfoddolwyr. I’r perwyl hwn, bydd Chwaraeon Cymru yn parhau i fwrw ymlaen â’i Strategaeth Chwaraeon Cymunedol, gan helpu i greu cyfleoedd gwell ym maes chwaraeon a hyrwyddo chwaraeon ar lawr gwlad ledled Cymru. Bydd ein Strategaeth Hyfforddi yn datblygu’r arweinwyr, y gwirfoddolwyr a’r hyfforddwyr sy’n hanfodol mewn chwaraeon ar bob lefel ac mae’n Strategaeth Chwaraeon Elite eisoes yn buddsoddi yn ein timau a’n hathletwyr fel bod Cymru’n parhau i fod yr un mor llwyddiannus ag ydyn ni wedi bod dros y ddau fis diwethaf.

Mae’n bwysig cofio pwysigrwydd ysgolion o ran annog ein plant i gymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi sefydlu Grŵp Gorchwyl a Gorffen newydd, o dan gadeiryddiaeth y Farwnes Grey\-Thompson, a fydd yn argymell y camau y gallwn ni eu cymryd i gael pob plentyn i gymryd rhan mewn gweithgarwch corfforol. Rydyn ni’n edrych ymlaen at glywed argymhellion y Grŵp maes o law.

Gan weithio ymhellach gyda phobl ifanc, lansiwyd Gemau Cymru yn 2011 fel digwyddiad aml\-chwaraeon arbennig a chwbl gynhwysol, sy’n cael ei gyflwyno gan yr Urdd drwy bartneriaeth unigryw sector cyhoeddus, sector preifat a thrydydd sector. Cynhaliwyd y digwyddiad am yr ail waith yn 2012\. Mae’n rhoi llwyfan i athletwyr ifanc dawnus yng Nghymru i gystadlu yn erbyn eu cyfoedion mewn amgylchedd sy’n pontio ac yn cynnal y llwybr cystadleuol tuag at gymryd rhan mewn digwyddiadau rhyngwladol fel Gemau’r Gymanwlad, gan roi profiad cynnar hanfodol i athletwyr ifanc a dawnus Cymru. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhoi cymorth ariannol i’r Urdd dros y ddwy flwyddyn ariannol nesaf i gynnal Gemau Cymru a thyfu’r digwyddiad fel rhywbeth o bwys cenedlaethol. 

Bydd y Gemau Paralympaidd yn helpu i adeiladu ar y fframwaith cryf sydd gennym eisoes ar gyfer chwaraeon cymunedol i bobl anabl yng Nghymru, drwy’r gwaith gan Chwaraeon Anabledd Cymru sy’n cynnig dros filiwn o gyfleoedd bob blwyddyn i bobl anabl gymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon. Gall y Gemau Paralympaidd ysbrydoli cenhedlaeth newydd o bobl anabl i gymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon, yn ogystal ag ysbrydoli hyfforddwyr, clybiau a gwirfoddolwyr prif ffrwd i chwarae mwy o ran mewn chwaraeon i bobl anabl. Gall y Gemau helpu hefyd i newid canfyddiadau am anabledd – gan weld pa mor abl yw pobl yn hytrach na pha mor anabl.

O ran mynd â’r profiad Olympaidd i gymunedau, roedd gan Gymru fantais o fod yn un o’r cymalau cyntaf ym mhrosiect mawreddog Taith y Fflam Olympaidd, lle cludwyd y fflam i bob rhan o’r DU gan grŵp ysbrydoledig o gludwyr oedd yn cynnwys arwyr lleol o fyd chwaraeon a thu hwnt. Yng Nghymru roedd y rhain yn cynnwys y cyn athletwr Olympaidd, Colin Jackson, a’r actor o Doctor Who, Matt Smith. Amcangyfrifir i un o bob pedwar person yng Nghymru weld Taith y Fflam yng Nghymru, oedd yn ymgysylltiad cymunedol sydd bron yn ddigyffelyb, a chynhaliwyd dathliadau gyda’r nos yng Nghaerdydd, Abertawe, Aberystwyth a Bangor.

Datblygwyd y gwaith cynllunio a chadernid oedd ynghlwm â Thaith y Fflam drwy bartneriaeth rhwng Pwyllgor Trefnu Llundain (LOCOG), Llywodraeth Cymru, Cymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru, pob un o 22 awdurdod lleol Cymru a’r gwasanaethau brys, yma ac ochr draw’r ffin yn ardaloedd cyfagos yr heddlu yn Lloegr. Mae hyn yn cynnig ei etifeddiaeth werthfawr ei hun, gan fod angen, am y tro cyntaf ar y fath raddfa, strwythur gorchymyn a rheoli Cymru gyfan. Cafodd y strwythur ganmoliaeth gan asiantaethau cenedlaethol ar y pryd a chaiff ei ddefnyddio yn y dyfodol ar gyfer digwyddiadau mawr Cymru gyfan. 

Mae rôl Cymru fel cartref cyfleusterau hyfforddi o’r safon uchaf cyn y Gemau ar gyfer timau Olympaidd a Pharalympaidd yn 2012 hefyd yn cynnig etifeddiaeth unigryw. Cynhaliwyd 24 gwersyll hyfforddi cenedlaethol gwahanol yng Nghymru, gyda bron 850 o athletwyr, hyfforddwyr a staff cymorth. Roedd hyn yn cyfrannu’n sylweddol yn economaidd at yr ardaloedd lle roedd y gwahanol dimau’n aros. Yn arbennig, roedd y rhaglen hon yn targedu’r gwledydd a fydd yn dychwelyd i’r DU ar gyfer Gemau’r Gymanwlad yn 2014, fel Awstralia a Seland Newydd, a bydd swyddogion yn parhau i ddatblygu cysylltiadau pellach â’r gwledydd hyn gyda’r bwriad o fod yn llwyddiannus eto ymhen dwy flynedd.

Yn y cyfamser, cymerodd ysgolion Cymru ran lawn yn rhaglen addysg Llundain 2012, Bydd Barod, gyda 1255 o sefydliadau addysgu Cymru yn cofrestru gyda’r cynllun. Drwy hyn cafodd yr ysgolion borth adnoddau a gwybodaeth addysg trawsgwricwlaidd helaeth a ddefnyddiwyd i helpu athrawon i gyflwyno themâu Olympaidd yn y cwricwlwm a hyrwyddo gwerthoedd Olympaidd a Pharalympaidd yn eu hysgolion. Drwy Bydd Barod, cafodd plant ysgol a myfyrwyr dethol o Gymru y cyfle i gludo’r Fflam Olympaidd, cael eu penodi’n Genhadon Ifanc yn eu hysgolion ar gyfer Llundain 2012, cymryd rhan yn yr ymgyrch ‘Host a Nation’, gan eu rhoi mewn cysylltiad â gwledydd eraill oedd yn cystadlu ac ennill tocynnau gwerthfawr i’r myfyrwyr gael gweld y Gemau.

Rhan unigryw o Lundain 2012 oedd y rhaglen Ysbrydoli, a gynlluniwyd i ymgysylltu â chymunedau ym mhob cwr o’r wlad drwy Olympiad Llundain 2012\. Gyda mwy na 100 o brosiectau yn ennill nod clodfawr Ysbrydoli, Cymru oedd un o’r cenhedloedd a gymerodd fwyaf o ran yn y DU. Derbyniodd y prosiectau gyllid o fwy na £2m a chymerodd dros 100,000 o bobl ran mewn prosiectau oedd yn amrywio o ‘Phoenix’, sef rhaglen gan Wasanaeth Tân Gogledd Cymru i fynd i’r afael â phroblemau ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol gan rai pobl ifanc yn yr ardal, i ‘Go Tri’, sef rhaglen yn Sir Benfro sy’n cynnig gweithgareddau triathlon i blant abl ac anabl.

Ar ben hyn, dangosodd awydd y Cymry i ymateb i’r gwahoddiad i fod yn 'Hyrwyddwyr y Gemau' a gwirfoddoli i helpu i gynnal y digwyddiadau, naill ai yn Llundain neu yma yng Nghaerdydd, frwdfrydedd y genedl ar gyfer y Gemau, gan roi lliw Cymreig i’r gwirfoddolwr yn Llundain a rhoi profiad gwaith gwerthfawr i’r holl wirfoddolwyr o Gymru, llawer ohonyn oedd yn ifanc, a sgiliau i’w trosglwyddo i fywyd gwaith prif ffrwd.

O ran sicrhau manteision i fusnes o’r Gemau, efallai mai’r contract uchaf ei broffil oedd i fathu’r holl fedalau, sef cyfrifoldeb y Bathdy Brenhinol, Llantrisant. Yn ogystal, roedd incwm o’r 11 o gemau pêl\-droed Olympaidd a gynhaliwyd yng Nghaerdydd, dinas Olympaidd Cymru, gyda thorf o bron 350,000 yn heidio i Stadiwm y Mileniwm – gyda’r mwyafrif o’r tu allan i Gymru; cymerodd Llywodraeth Cymru ran yn y broses i sicrhau cyfleoedd busnes uniongyrchol o’r paratoadau ar gyfer y Gemau cyn gynted â phosibl. Gan weithio gyda phartneriaid ac yn uniongyrchol gyda busnesau, buom yn annog cwmnïau i gofrestru ar gyfer contractau Olympaidd a chyfleodd busnes tebyg ar gyfer y digwyddiad. Yn sgil y broses hon, enillodd 69 o fusnesau Cymreig gontractau cysylltiedig â’r Gemau Olympaidd, gan ennill profiad gwerthfawr a chontractau busnes newydd i helpu gyda gwaith posibl yn y dyfodol. Yn sgil y gemau pêl\-droed, gwelwyd Caerdydd ar lwyfan byd eang fel dinas Olympaidd ryngwladol, gyda’r cylchoedd Olympaidd y tu allan i Neuadd y Ddinas yn ganolbwynt i statws Olympaidd y rhanbarth. Manteisiwyd yn briodol ar y cyfleoedd busnes yn sgil y gemau eu hunain, a chroesawais gysylltiadau busnes allweddol mewn blwch yn y stadiwm yng ngêm gogynderfynol y dynion er mwyn gwneud y gorau o’r cyfleoedd oedd yn codi yn sgil achlysur o’r fath.

Gwnaethpwyd ymrwymiad cynnar i sicrhau bod Cymru’n chwarae rhan lawn yn y rhaglen fusnes Olympaidd a ddatblygwyd gan bartneriaid, Masnach a Buddsoddi y DU (UKTI). Gan sefydlu Lancaster House, lleoliad uchel ei broffil yng Nghanol Llundain fel ‘Llysgenhadaeth Busnes Prydain, lluniodd UKTI amserlen lawn o ddigwyddiadau ymgysylltu busnes i sicrhau bod buddiannau busnes y DU yn gallu cwrdd â chwmnïau byd eang oedd yn ymweld â Llundain, efallai am y tro cyntaf o ganlyniad uniongyrchol i’r Gemau. O ganlyniad, cafodd Llywodraeth Cymru a busnesau Cymru eu cynrychioli yn y Gynhadledd Buddsoddi Byd Eang, a gynhaliwyd yn Lancaster House ar drothwy’r Gemau, ac yn y gyfres lawn o Uwchgynadleddau Sector Byd Eang. Cydlynwyd y gynrychiolaeth drwy banelau sector Llywodraeth Cymru, a llwyddodd hyd yn oed mwy o fusnesau i gymryd rhan drwy ddosbarthu fideo ar\-lein a chynlluniau am ddigwyddiadau sector Cymreig dilynol, gyda rhywfaint o’r deunydd gorau o’r uwchgynadleddau.

Pwysleisiwyd ‘ôl\-troed’ Cymru ar arlwy busnes y DU ymhellach yn ystod y Gemau Olympaidd drwy dargedu ymgyrch hysbysebu’n ofalus i roi sylw i’r rhaglen Ardaloedd Menter sydd newydd ei lansio yng Nghymru. Gan fanteisio ar safleoedd y Tiwb ger Lancaster House a lleoliadau chwaraeon allweddol, cyflwynwyd negeseuon busnes Cymreig i gynulleidfaoedd allweddol oedd yn ymweld â chanol a dwyrain Llundain adeg y Gemau. Yn y cyfamser, byddwn yn parhau i wneud defnydd darbodus o’r swyddfa sydd newydd ei hagor yn Llundain, a lansiwyd gerbron cynulleidfa fusnes cyn y Gemau, i geisio ymgysylltu’n llwyddiannus â thargedau allweddol, sy’n aml yn anodd eu cyrraedd, yn Llundain a De\-ddwyrain Lloegr.

Mae gan Gymru enw da eisoes fel lleoliad prosiectau celfyddydau arloesol o ansawdd uchel, a rhoddwyd hwb pellach i’r enw da drwy ymateb trawiadol y genedl i’r gwahoddiad i gymryd rhan yn nathliad diwylliannol Llundain 2012, yr Olympiad Diwylliannol. Drwy ddefnyddio rhaglenni cyfredol, fel Eisteddfod yr Urdd, yn ogystal â chomisiynu gwaith newydd a blaengar a gweithio gyda’r partner allweddol, sef Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, llwyddodd Olympiad Diwylliannol Cymru i arddangos rhaglenni fel Grym y Fflam – casgliad o 5 prosiect gwahanol a ddenodd bron 175,000 o ymwelwyr rhwng mis Mehefin 2011 a mis Awst 2012\. 

Aeth y rhaglen o flwyddyn â gŵyl o brosiectau celfyddydau un lleoliad a theithiol i bob cwr o Gymru, gan arddangos rhagoriaeth Cymru o ran cefnogi ac annog prosiectau’r celfyddydau i bobl anabl, gan ddod â chynulleidfaoedd amrywiol a helaeth i weld y gweithiau cyffrous hyn. Wrth wylio perfformiad gan Only Kids Aloud a’r dawnsiwr anabl dawnus David Toole a’u tebyg, roedd yn bleser nodi bod perfformwyr o Gymru wedi cyfrannu’n sylweddol at y seremoni agoriadol a’r diweddglo yn y Stadiwm Olympaidd a rhaglen yr Olympiad Diwylliannol, gan godi proffil celfyddydau Cymru i gynulleidfa fyd\-eang.

Bwriad gwaith Croeso Cymru yn ystod y Gemau Olympaidd a chyn hynny oedd sicrhau bod diwydiant twristiaeth Cymru yn elwa gymaint â phosibl yn sgil Llundain 2012, ac y byddai’r Gemau yn cyflwyno cynulleidfaoedd teithio newydd a dylanwadol i Gymru. Gan weithio’n agos gyda’r partner strategol Visit Britain, cymerodd Croeso Cymru ran yn ymgyrch Visit Britain “Great Britain – You’re Invited”, gan sicrhau bod delweddau o Gymru’n cael eu cynnwys yn neunydd yr ymgyrch, bod Cymru’n cael ei chynrychioli’n glir yn y ganolfan cyfryngau heb achrediad yng nghanol Llundain a bod cyfle i newyddiadurwyr o wledydd eraill ymweld â Chymru yn ystod eu taith i’r DU. Wrth hyrwyddo Cymru, pwysleisiwyd dwy elfen newydd yn arbennig – Llwybr Arfordir Cymru, a gyflwynwyd i newyddiadurwyr yn Llundain yn ystod y Gemau, a’r paratoadau i ddathlu canmlwyddiant geni Dylan Thomas yn 2014\. 

Y bwriad oedd hysbysu newyddiadurwyr ac ymwelwyr preifat fel ei gilydd am atyniadau ychwanegol Cymru yn ystod taith i’r DU, a chyflwyno Cymru fel dewis i’r rheini oedd am dreulio amser y tu allan i Lundain dros yr haf. Ar ben hyn, drwy gysylltu ymgyrchoedd â themâu Olympaidd, hyrwyddwyd cyfleusterau chwaraeon a hamdden unigryw Cymru a’i henw da fel cyrchfan o safon fyd\-eang. Ar ôl casglu delweddau a deunydd ffilm gwerthfawr o lawer o’r digwyddiadau Olympaidd a gynhaliwyd yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys Taith y Fflam, paratoadau ar gyfer y gemau pêl\-droed Olympaidd a’r gwersylloedd hyfforddi, adlewyrchwyd themâu Olympaidd yn ymgyrchoedd marchnata traddodiadol, digidol ac ar\-lein Croeso Cymru.

Mae canlyniadau penodol yr holl ffrydiau gwaith hyn yn amlwg yn cael eu  casglu o hyd, ac yn achos rhai bydd effaith Llundain 2012 ar Gymru i’w gweld yn yr hirdymor yn hytrach nag yn y tymor byr. Fodd bynnag, mae’n amlwg i bawb a fu’n rhyfeddu at berfformiadau Cymreig yn y Seremoni Agoriadol, a glywodd am athletwyr yn y Pentref Olympaidd yn bwyta ac yn yfed cynnyrch o Gymru, a welodd hysbysebion gan fusnesau Cymreig ar rwydwaith tanddaearol Llundain, a groesawodd newyddiadurwyr tramor i rai o atyniadau ymwelwyr Cymru, a gymerodd ran mewn un o’r amryw ddigwyddiadau diwylliannol yng Nghymru fel rhan o’r Olympiad Diwylliannol ond a fu, yn fwy na dim, yn dathlu perfformiadau anhygoel athletwyr Cymru, fod Cymru wedi chwarae rhan lawn a hanfodol yn llwyddiant Llundain 2012\. Drwy wneud hynny, rydyn ni wedi dangos unwaith eto y gallwn gynnal digwyddiadau chwaraeon rhyngwladol mawr i’r safon uchaf, ac y byddwn o ganlyniad yn gweld etifeddiaeth hirdymor a chynaliadwy ym meysydd chwaraeon, diwylliant a’r economi.

Caiff y datganiad ei gyhoeddi yn ystod y toriad er mwyn rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i’r Aelodau. Os bydd yr Aelodau  i mi wneud datganiad pellach neu ateb cwestiynau ynglŷn â hyn pan fydd y Cynulliad yn dychwelyd, byddwn yn hapus i wneud hynny. 







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London 2012 has been an outstanding sporting event and as we prepare to welcome our Welsh Champions home to Wales today, it’s worth reflecting on the legacy that the event will leave in Wales. The intention was always to ensure that Wales benefited from the Games before, during and after the event, through maximizing the economic, sporting and cultural impact on our nation, boosting tourism and enhancing Wales’ global reputation. 


First of all, however, it falls to me to congratulate the 68 Welsh Olympians and Paralympians on their outstanding sporting achievements. The 2012 phenomenon of a home games is one that truly inspired the athletes, their coaches, support teams and the governing bodies to some once in a lifetime performances and Wales, along with the rest of the UK, will look back on 2012 as a definitive milestone in the development of sporting excellence. 


London 2012 has undoubtedly been a fantastic achievement for sport. It’s now up to us and our partners to harness the resultant interest and ensure that all those who have been inspired over recent weeks get the chance to get involved with their favourite sport or try new ones. With 30 Welsh athletes contributing to the Team GB presence at the Olympic Games and 38 at the Paralympic Games, Wales was presented with a vista of home grown talent that will serve to inspire more people to become involved in sport – either simply just as a means of staying fit and healthy, or as a route to elite sport and national, or even international, competition. 


With the Games only just over, Sport Wales is already reporting that Welsh sports governing bodies are receiving new enquiries from people wanting to start, or renew, their relationship with sport, either as athletes, coaches, support staff or volunteers. To this end, Sport Wales will continue to drive forward its Community Sport Strategy, helping to create better quality sporting opportunities in our communities and promoting grass roots sport throughout Wales. Our Coaching Strategy will deliver the leaders, volunteers and coaches who are essential to sport at all levels and our Elite Sport Strategy is already investing in our teams and athletes so that Wales continues to enjoy the type of success we have experienced in the last two months.


We cannot underestimate the importance of schools in getting our children playing sport.  The Welsh Government has set up a new Task and Finish Group, chaired by Baroness Grey\-Thompson, which will recommend what more we can do to get all of our children physically active.  We look forward to hearing the Group’s recommendations in due course.


Working further with young people, Gemau Cymru, a special and fully inclusive multi\-sport event, delivered by the Urdd in a unique public, private, third sector partnership was launched in 2011 and staged for the second time in 2012\. It provides a platform for talented young athletes in Wales to compete against their peers in an environment designed to bridge and support the competitive performance pathway towards senior international representation at events such as the Commonwealth Games, delivering vital early experience for young and talented Welsh athletes.  The Welsh Government is providing financial support in the next two financial years to the Urdd to deliver Gemau Cymru and to grow it as a national signature sporting event. 


The Paralympic Games will help to build on the already strong framework that we have for community disability sport in Wales, through the work undertaken by Disability Sport Wales who provide over a million opportunities for disabled people to get involved in sport every year.  The Paralympic Games can inspire a new generation of disabled people to participate in sport, as well as inspiring mainstream coaches, clubs and volunteers to get more involved in disability sport.  The Games can also help to change perceptions about disability – seeing the ability not the disability of people.


In terms of taking the Olympic experience into communities, Wales had the advantage of being at an early stage in the truly epic Olympic Torch Relay project, during which the Olympic flame was transported around the UK, carried by an inspiring group of Torchbearers including sporting and popular heroes which, in Wales, included the likes of past Olympian, Colin Jackson, and Doctor Who actor Matt Smith. It is estimated that the Torch Relay in Wales attracted up to 1 in 4 of the total Welsh population – an almost unprecedented level of community engagement \- and overnight celebrations of the Torch were enjoyed in Cardiff, Swansea, Aberystwyth and Bangor.


The planning and resilience work involved in staging a successful Torch Relay was developed through partnership between the London Organising Committee LOCOG), Welsh Government, the WLGA, all 22 Welsh local authorities and blue light agencies, both here and over the border in adjacent English police forces. This brings with it its own valuable legacy, requiring, for the first time on this scale, the coordination of an all\-Wales command and control structure that attracted praise from national agencies at the time and will now be deployable for other pan\-Wales major events. 


Wales’ role as the host country for high quality pre\-Games training facilities for both Olympic and Paralympic teams during 2012 also provided its own unique legacy. In total, 24 separate national training camps based themselves throughout Wales, involving nearly 850 athletes, coaches and support staff and contributing significantly to the local economies in which they stayed. Nations due to return to the UK for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, such as Australia and New Zealand, were particularly targeted for this programme and officials will now continue their work to further develop links with these sporting nations with a view to repeating the success in two year’s time.


Meanwhile, Welsh schools participated fully in the London 2012 education programme – Get Set, with 1255 Welsh education institutions eventually registering with the scheme. This gave them access to an extensive cross curricular education resource and information portal that was used to help teachers introduce Olympic themes into the curriculum and promote Olympic and Paralympic values within their schools. Through Get Set, selected Welsh school children and students were able to become Olympic torch bearers, be appointed Young Ambassadors in their schools for London 2012, participate in the Host a Nation campaign, linking them with other competing nations and secure valuable Games tickets for the students to enjoy during the competition itself.


Unique to London 2012 was the Inspire programme, which was designed to engage communities across the country with the wider London 2102 Olympiad. With over 100 projects awarded the prestigious Inspire mark, Wales distinguished itself as one of the more participative UK nations. Projects attracted over £2m in funding and over 100,000 people participated in projects ranging from “Phoenix” \- a programme managed by North Wales Fire Service addressing anti social behaviour issues among some young people in the area to “Go Tri” \- a Pembrokeshire\-based programme providing triathlon based activities for both able and disabled children.


Added to this, the strength of the Welsh response to the invitation to become “Games Makers” and volunteer to help with the successful staging of the events, either in London or here in Cardiff, demonstrated the nation’s enthusiasm for the Games, provided a Welsh flavour to the volunteer provision in London and gave all Welsh volunteers, many of them young, valuable workplace experience and transferrable skills that they are now able to take with them into mainstream working life.


In terms of deriving business benefit from the Games, perhaps the most high profile being the contract to produce all the medals which was awarded to the Royal Mint, Llantrisant. In addition, there was the income generated from 11 Olympic football matches being held in Wales’ own Olympic host venue city, Cardiff – which attracted nearly 350,000 spectators to the Millennium Stadium – the majority from outside Wales; the Welsh Government engaged with the process to secure direct business opportunities out of preparations for the Games at the earliest opportunity. Working with partners and directly with businesses, we encouraged companies to register for Olympic contracts and for other business opportunities linked to the event. As a result of this process, 69 Welsh businesses won Olympic\-related contracts, gaining valuable experience and new business contracts to help inform future potential work, as a result. As an outcome of the football itself, Cardiff was profiled to the world as an outstanding major event host city, with the Olympic rings outside Cardiff City Hall providing the focus for the region’s Olympic status. The business engagement opportunities offered by the fixtures themselves were exploited appropriately and I, myself, hosted a box at the stadium for key business contacts at the men’s quarter final match in order to make the most of opportunities offered by the staging of such a high profile occasion.


An early commitment was made to ensure that Wales was engaged fully in the Olympic\-related business programme developed by partners, UK Trade and Invest. Establishing the high profile central London location, Lancaster House, as the “British Business Embassy”, UKTI put on a full timetable of business engagement events in order to ensure that UK business interests had access to visiting global companies in London, perhaps for the first time as a direct consequence of the Games. As a result, Welsh Government and Welsh business were represented at the keynote Global Investment Conference, hosted at Lancaster House on the eve of the Games, and at the full series of Global Sector Summits, attendance at which was coordinated through Welsh Government’s sector panels and participation in which was extended to an even wider business audience through video distribution on line and plans for subsequent Welsh sector events, featuring some of the best of the summit material.


The Welsh “footprint” on the UK business offer was emphasised further during the Olympic period by a carefully targeted advertising campaign, profiling Wales’ recently launched Enterprise Zone programme. Taking advantage of London Underground sites in the vicinity of both Lancaster House and key sporting venues, Welsh business messages were presented to key target audiences visiting central and East London at the time of the Games. Meanwhile, judicious deployment of the newly\-opened London office, officially launched to a business audience immediately prior to the Games, will continue in an effort to engage successfully with key, and often difficult to reach, targets in the London and South East.


Wales’ already well\-established reputation as the home of high quality and innovative arts projects was further enhanced by the deeply impressive response that the nation made to the invitation to participate in the cultural celebration of London 2012, the Cultural Olympiad. By harnessing existing programmes, such as the Urdd Eisteddfod, as well as commissioning new and ground\-breaking works and working with key partner, Arts Council of Wales, Wales’ own Cultural Olympiad showcased, programmes such as The Power of the Flame – a collection of 5 separate projects that, between June 2011 and August 2012 that were attended by nearly 175,000 visitors. 


The year\-long programme brought a festival of both single location and travelling arts projects to all corners of Wales and successfully highlighted, in particular, Wales’ enviable pedigree in supporting and encouraging disability arts projects, exposing these exciting works to a wide variety of audiences. Witnessing performances by the likes of Only Kids Aloud and distinguished disabled dancer, David Toole, it was pleasing to note that Welsh performers contributed significantly to both the ceremonial opening and closing events held in the Olympic Stadium and the wider Cultural Olympiad programme, raising the profile of Welsh arts with a truly global audience.


The work of Visit Wales during the Olympic and pre\-Olympic period was intended to ensure that the Welsh tourism industry benefited, as much as possible, from London 2012 and that, through the Games, Wales would be introduced to new and influential travel audiences. Working closely with strategic partner, Visit Britain, VW participated fully in the VB\-led “Great Britain – You’re Invited” campaign, ensuring that images of Wales was included in the campaign material, that Wales had a clear presence at the central London non\-accredited media centre and that visiting journalists were offered the opportunity to enhance their stay in the UK with a visit to Wales. Promotion of Wales was deliberately shaped to emphasise two key additions, this year, to the attractions portfolio \- the new Wales Coast Path, that was specifically launched to London\-based journalists at the London media centre during Games time, and the developing preparations to celebrate the centenary of Dylan Thomas’ birth in 2014\. 


The intention was that both journalists and private visitors, alike, were made aware of the additional attractions of a visit to Wales, whilst in the UK and to position Wales as an alternative choice for those wishing to spend some time outside London this summer. Further, by linking campaigns to Olympic themes, Wales’s unique sports and leisure credentials were further enhanced and its reputation as a world\-class destination strengthened. Having gathered valuable images and footage from many of the Olympic\-related events taking place in Wales, including Torch Relay, preparations for the Olympic football fixtures and the Training Camps, Olympic themes were reflected in VW’s traditional, digital and on\-line marketing campaigns.


Specific outcomes from all these workstreams are clearly still being collated and, in the cases of some, the impact on Wales of London 2012 will be long, rather than short term. It is clear, however, to all those who marvelled at Welsh performances at the Opening Ceremony, who heard about the Welsh food and drink being consumed by athletes in the Olympic village, who spotted Welsh business advertising on London’s underground network, who hosted overseas journalists at some of Wales’ visitor attractions, who participated in one of the many cultural events staged in Wales as part of the Cultural Olympiad but who, most of all, celebrated in the awe\-inspiring performances of Welsh sports men and women, that Wales played a full and crucial part in the successful hosting of London 2012\. In doing so, we demonstrated, once again, our ability to host  major international sporting events to the highest standard and, as a result, is due to enjoy a long term and sustainable legacy across sporting, cultural and economic life.


This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep Members informed. Should Members wish me to make a further statement or to answer questions on this when the Assembly returns I would be happy to do so.