Communities Sectary and Cllr Castle present the students of Hadleigh Juniors with their Inspire Mark.

THE COMMUNITIES secretary visited all four Olympic sites this week to see the positive effect they are having in local businesses and communities.

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Eric Pickles toured the Olympic Mountain Bike venue where GB Under 23 elite rider Grant Fergus, demonstrated cycling the course and tackling the technical features that the London 2012 Olympic Mountain Bike athletes will face this summer.

Mr Pickles was accompanied by county councillor Stephen Castle, cabinet member for the 2012 Games, who guided Mr Pickles through the history and development of the site as well as accompanying him throughout the rest of the days events.

Cllr Castle said: “I was delighted to welcome Eric Pickles to our Olympic Mountain Bike venue as well as our Olympic projects across south Essex. It was fantastic to demonstrate how the Olympic spirit is alive and well in Essex and show him how we plan to make the most of the Games coming to Essex, whilst creating a lasting legacy for the County.”

Whilst in Hadleigh, Mr Pickles also toured the Old Fire Station, which has been converted into a vibrant cultural and community hub. He was delighted to switch on the station’s renovated clock which has been switched off since the station’s decommissioning. Mr Pickles concluded his tour in Hadleigh by presenting an Inspire Mark to pupils from Hadleigh Juniors in reference to their ‘Team Hadleigh’ project - an ambitious to engage a wide range of communities with their local heritage through several interlinked projects.

On leaving Hadleigh, Mr Pickles met with John Anthony Signs, a design and manufacture company that won a contract through the London 2012 supply chain website competefor.com to provide signage around the Olympic Park. Before making his way to Basildon Sporting Village to see how the Games have inspired a new world class sporting facility for the county

The sporting village is an official London 2012 training facility which the Japanese swimming team have selected as their training base.

After a day touring Olympic projects in Essex Eric Pickles said: “We are on track for a great Games in 2012. It’s going to be an amazing chance to showcase to the world the best of what Britain and Essex has to offer. The Olympic torch will go through Chelmsford; Hadleigh will host the Mountain Biking competition and Basildon’s training village is set to become a home away from home for many athletes.

“Essex already has seen Olympic success through home-grown heroes like Sally Gunnell and Dean Macey, I hope these games will inspire more young people to become Essex Ambassadors or get involved in sport and help leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.”