secretary of state launches olympic programme in penrith

Rory today welcomed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt MP, to the Rheged centre in Penrith for an inaugural event promoting the business and cultural opportunities of Britain’s Olympic year, and what this means for Cumbria’s tourism industry. The event brought together an unprecedented number of senior Cumbrians, industry figures and businesspeople, from Lakes Alive to the Lakes Hospitality Association and Hadrian’s Wall Heritage. The Secretary of State, alongside Eric Robson of Cumbria Tourism, James Berresford of Visit England, and Ruth Mackenzie of London 2012, hosted the two-hour morning event, called 2012: A GREAT Opportunity for Cumbria and the Northwest, before hearing directly from Cumbrian businesses in a lively question and answer session.

Rory said: “Enormous thanks are due to Cumbria Tourism for organising this excellent event. I, and many others, have lobbied hard to ensure that the Olympics benefit Cumbria as well as London, and am therefore delighted that the Secretary of State has chosen to launch his Olympics programme here in Penrith. I am even more pleased to hear that there will be a large marketing campaign next year to encourage people to holiday in and visit Cumbria. There was always a risk of focusing on London, and I am very keen that Cumbria makes full use of the torch relay, and am pushing for a bi-annual illumination of Hadrian’s Wall by different contemporary artists. With both Jeremy Hunt and John Penrose here today, this is another example of heavy-hitting Ministers visiting Penrith and prioritising Cumbria. I want to make sure that we become a central stopping point for every member of Cabinet choosing where to launch their national programmes.”