British public cynical about benefits of Games

Debt and taxes will be the main legacy of the London 2012 Games – with charities losing out, a survey by not-for-profit sector research consultancy nfpSynergy has revealed.

The British public thinks big business will be the most likely “off-track” beneficiary of the 2012 Games, but most people think it should be sports organisations, schools and charities.

With the Games less than a year away, 39 per cent of 1,000 people polled by nfpSynergy believe that government debt or increased taxes will be the most likely legacy of the London 2012 Games.

Only 4 per cent believe one of the key legacies of the Olympics would be more people volunteering or more money being donated to charities or their profiles rising.

Those polled believe that big business is the least worthy (6 per cent) Olympics beneficiary, with sports organisations (60 per cent), schools (59 per cent) and charities (46 per cent) deemed the most worthy.

NfpSynergy spokesman Joe Saxton said: “Despite the mounting hype, the British public still sees government debt and associated taxes as the most likely major legacy of the 2012 London Olympic Games

“People are evenly split as to whether the newly-built stadia and infrastructure will end up used or, instead, become the proverbial white elephants.”