Investing in Events

Zac Purchase Rowing World Championships Zac Purchase won gold at the 2006 Rowing World Championships - an event supported by UK Sport's World Class Events Programme

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UK Sport leads the campaign to bring strategically important sporting events to our shores. Working in partnership with national governing bodies, cities & regions and home country agencies, we co-ordinate the UK's efforts to bid for and stage major events on home soil. Since 1997, UK Sport has supported more than 120 events of World, European and Commonwealth status.

Through our National Lottery funded World Class Events Programme we are investing some £20 million into UK hosted events between 2006 and 2012, and have identified 28 World Championships and 27 European Championships that we will be investigating bidding for and staging over the next few years. Indeed, in 2008, UK Sport is supporting 17 events, including a record six World Championships.

London 2012 has been the impetus to some change in the programme and we are now in a position to be able to target, in agreement with sports partners, key strategically important events in the build up to the home Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Although the World Class Events Programme is a key part of the work of the World Class Events Team, UK Sport also acts as the strategic lead in events research, capacity building and knowledge transfer. Ahead of London 2012 capacity building is especially crucial; with a target of ensuring that at least 65% of officials are British, staging major events on home soil is a prime opportunity for them to gain the necessary experience and to equip personnel with key skills. Our Events Consultants also support event organisers and provide technical expertise to Local Organising Committees.

In 2006 UK Sport established an Event Managers Education and Development Programme for event organisers from UK national governing bodies. The Programme provides a forum for harnessing and transferring knowledge between sports and sharing best practice. Seminars are also run for City and Regional partners, to explore opportunities for co-operation and networking.