Swakeleys School’s Megan Lawley admitted all the hard work was certainly worth it after her extracurricular efforts were rewarded by London 2012 bronze medallist Beth Tweddle.
Lawley (second right) was one of the star attractions at Stamford Bridge on Monday evening as over 100 young legacy leaders took centre stage to celebrate and showcase their fantastic work on the Get Set to Make a Change programme since October last year.
The Get Set to Make a Change programme, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, saw youngsters keep the spirit of London 2012 alive with 15-year-old Lawley and Swakeleys certainly doing that – fulfilling a pledge to raise the profile of Olympic and Paralympic sport in local primary schools.
Their hard work didn’t go unnoticed with former gymnast Tweddle, who won bronze on the uneven bars at London 2012, as well as double Paralympic equestrian gold medallist Natasha Baker handing Lawley an award to commemorate the youngster’s efforts at a red carpet event.
And after coming up close and personal with two stars of British sport, Lawley was left pinching herself as to just how far the Get Set to Make a Change programme had taken her and her classmates.
“It’s been a really enjoyable evening and it’s something that we haven’t had the chance to do before,” said Lawley.
“It’s really nice to have had the athletes here as well and it made us feel like we really deserved it.
“We had a group of team leaders who went into the primary schools to teach sports like basketball and sit down volleyball, tennis and curling.”
“From Get Set to Make a Change I’ve learned how to take control and leadership skills and learned how to work well in a team,” Lawley said.
“I’ve just enjoyed sharing my experiences with young people and being able to help them out and teach them new sports.”
And Tweddle insisted she was more than happy to take time out to celebrate Lawley and Swakeleys School’s hard work, revealing that the youngsters’ efforts were an inspiration.
“London 2012 was such a special moment not just for the athletes but for the whole of the UK and the fact that the legacy is still living on is amazing,” said Tweddle.
“You can see the excitement in the legacy leaders here and the stuff that they have been doing for their communities is unbelievable.
“You can really see the enthusiasm when you’re talking to these legacy leaders and they can tell you exactly where they were when certain people won their medals.
“I think any legacy programme is really important and these legacy leaders are going out there and inspiring another generation.”
Through GSTMC, the British Olympic Foundation, in conjunction with the British Paralympic Association is using the spirit of the London Games to re-inspire young people across the UK.
The project is being supported by a £2.5m grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s Keeping the Spirit of 2012 Alive campaign. http://www.makeachange.org.uk/
