Sebastian Coe, the former Olympic gold medallist and Chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG), visited Nottingham this week, as part of the London 2012 Nations and Regions programme, to take a look at some of the work that is being undertaken in the build up to the 2012 Games.

The East Midlands Development Agency (emda) coordinated Coe's visit as the lead organisation in the region for ensuring the opportunity of the 2012 Games is maximised. The visit saw Coe visiting a number of projects in Greater Nottingham and also in North Nottinghamshire.

Coe's first visit was to Trent Bridge, where he saw the work that has been done to develop the ground into one of the best cricket venues in the country and a potential London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp for archery. emda part-funded the redevelopment work, by providing a grant of £2.5 million, which helped to replace two stands, increased the ground's capacity to 17,000 and provided permanent floodlights. The investment has already paid off, by helping to secure Trent Bridge as one of only three venues which will be hosting the ICC World Twenty20.

Following the visit to Trent Bridge, Coe moved on to see the St. Ann's and Sneinton Education Improvement Partnership. The project is a sports volunteering and coach training scheme which supports sports in the community. The programme is helping to develop sports clubs in St. Ann's, Sneinton, Bilborough, Bulwell and Clifton. In addition, it is building a bank of qualified coaches and student and parent volunteers to deliver sport to children in the inner city areas.

During the visit to the project, school pupils took part in various activities, including basketball, football and dance and will present awards to all of the children involved.

In the afternoon, Seb Coe participated in a London 2012 International Inspiration project at the Dukeries College near Newark in North Nottinghamshire. International Inspiration is a key strand of the international legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and aims to transform the lives of children and young people all over the world, through the power of high quality physical education, sport and play.

As part of the programme, 12 Nottinghamshire schools have linked up with schools in Brazil, Pernambuco and Alagoas, to share, learn and enhance the way Physical Education is delivered to their pupils. The partnerships between the schools will focus on social and educational development in and through PE and sport.

At the Dukeries College, Coe met young leaders trained through International Inspiration and saw children playing sports such as Futsal and Boccia before taking part in a live video conferencing link up between several schools in Nottinghamshire and Brazil which are involved in the International Inspiration project.

Speaking about the visit to Nottinghamshire, Seb Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee said: "The visit to the East Midlands encapsulates everything we went to Singapore to bid for. Young people across the region are learning and developing their skills through their interest in the 2012 Games. 

"The staff and pupils at the 12 Nottinghamshire schools taking part in International Inspiration are helping to deliver our vision of an international legacy from London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This legacy is driven by sport and the desire to encourage more young people to choose sport but also enables children and young people to learn about and understand each other's cultures, experiences and international development issues."

Jeff Moore, Chief Executive of emda, added: "The projects that Lord Coe has seen represent just a small part of the work that is being carried out by people and organisations across the region in relation to the 2012 Games. 

"The Games offer a range of opportunities in many areas, including sport, commerce and culture to name but a few. Today Lord Coe has been able to see how the event is inspiring young people, their parents, teachers and others, and I would urge everyone to visit the London 2012 website to find out how they can also take advantage of this once in a lifetime event." 

Speaking about the International Inspiration programme, Sue Connor, 

Advisory Teacher, PE and Sport for Nottinghamshire County Council said: "Developing links between the 12 schools in Nottinghamshire and 12 schools in Brazil has been extremely exciting and beneficial for all those involved. The opportunity for exchange visits has been invaluable in helping to understand each others culture, society, curriculum and learning processes. 

"Some of the schools have focused on improving learning in other subjects, such as art, english, maths, languages and science, using physical education and sport as the catalyst. The engagement of young people in both countries has been immense, as has the impact on developing a greater social and global understanding and the experiences for some young people will stay with them forever." 

For further information about London 2012 and the East Midlands, visit www.emda.org.uk/london2012