The winning idea for the "Make it our Future" project came from students as Lammas School and Sports College in Waltham Forest with their proposal of a two day community festival at the Olympic Park, celebrating different cultures and encouraging community cohesion through sharing and trying new things from sport to culinary specialties.

The idea was chosen by an expert panel which included Communities Minister Bob Neill, Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) Board member Nick Bitel, Westfield Stratford City Director John Burton and Trustee of the Citizenship Foundation Sir Keith Ajegbo.

The OPLC and Westfield Stratford City will consider the idea for the Olympic Park and the Communities Minister said he feels the project has been a huge success.

"Today has been a fantastic opportunity to see the excitement and enthusiasm of young people in East London to get involved in the Olympics not just as a sporting opportunity but as a regeneration project and a legacy for prosperity and growth," Neill told insidethegames.

"I think we can definitely take this winning idea very seriously and I am delighted that it will be considered by the OPLC and Westfield Stratford City.

"These young people are the ones who will be in the Olympic Park area long after London 2012 is over so it is important that they have a real say in what goes on there in the future."

Burton said: "We have been working in local schools for a number of years and the 'Make it our Future' programme is yet another example of the amazing creativity demonstrated in East London.

"This project aims to help people of all ages take advantage of the job opportunities on offer in Westfield and the Olympic Park, as well as to address the higher than average unemployment rate in the area.

"I think that this winning idea can definitely become a reality in the future."

Runners up in the competition were St Paul's Way Trust School in Tower Hamlets, Forest Gate School in Newham and Cardinal Pole Catholic School in Hackney, who came up with ideas ranging from a jobs and culture fair for local people to a week-long event in the Park showcasing possible careers in sectors like fashion, retail, catering, sport and design.



The 'Make it our Future' project has seen the OPLC and Westfield Stratford City visit schools in Waltham Forest, Newham, Hackney and Tower Hamlets over the last three months to talk 350 pupils through their ambition to transform the area with new homes, shops, sports venues and community facilities.

The school workshops over the last three months have included everything from the positive regeneration impacts of the Olympic Park and Westfield Stratford City to understanding their effects on the local community.

Pupils also visited the Olympic Park and Westfield Stratford City and interviewed their local communities for their opinions on the future of the Park.

Andrew Altman, chief executive of OPLC, said: "We want young people to tell us what they want to see in the Olympic Park and Westfield Stratford City because they are the generation whose lives can be changed the most by these two high-profile regeneration projects.

"By going into schools, we have got pupils involved in what is happening around them and they can inspire others to think about the opportunities that are coming to East London."

Andy Thornton, chief executive of Citizenship Foundation, added: "The regeneration of east London is a great opportunity for local young people to engage with their local community and, importantly, be inspired to take ownership.

"By working alongside professionals from the Legacy Company and Westfield, the young people can learn about the needs of their community, the purpose and impact of regeneration and the way in which local democracy functions.

"This means they will be able to develop informed opinions and new skills to participate in the huge changes happening in their local community."

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