Cadbury and its charity partner Groundwork have so far hosted 1,882 Spots v Stripes events, involving over 120,000 people playing games to help build cohesion in some of the country's most disadvantaged communities, they claim.

The research into the social impact of Cadbury's Spots v Stripes Community Programme claims that the focus on playing games created an inclusive platform for engaging people who did not usually feel the London 2012 Games or elite sport were relevant to them.

The independent evaluation of the Cadbury Spots v Stripes Community Programme was carried out by an international provider of research and consulting as well as professor Peter Taylor from Sheffield Hallam University Sports Research Centre.

"Cadbury's Spots v Stripes Community Programme is innovative in the way that it doesn't focus on sport, but uses a broader and more flexible concept of game playing to bring people together," said Taylor.

"The interim social impact results are very positive and show that Cadbury's programme is already contributing significantly to bringing the spirit of the London 2012 Games to the nation."

The key findings of the report concluded that the Cadbury Spots v Stripes Community Programme has so far seen 49 per cent of the participants and spectators say they are more likely to play games and get involved in sport after attending one of the community events.

In addition, 85 per cent of participants reported a greater sense of community in the area while 83 per cent of participants said they are more likely to get involved in community activities and one in three more likely to consider volunteering in their local area.


"The Cadbury brand has embraced its commitment to bring the London 2012 Games to the whole nation," said Norman Brodie, general manager of Cadbury London 2012 at Kraft Foods.

"As a business we have used the opportunity to try new, bold approaches, and through our Cadbury Spots v Stripes Community Programme we have used game playing to bring people together and build stronger communities in areas that need it the most.

"I'm delighted that we've already exceeded our targets, with five months to go."

Cadbury is the first Olympic sponsor to evaluate its London 2012 community programme and the move has drawn praise from Sebastian Coe.

"Cadbury's innovative Spots v Stripes programme has used the spirit of the Olympics to build community cohesion and create lasting relationships in disadvantaged neighbourhoods up and down the country," said the London 2012 chairman.

Shanaze Reade, one of Britain's brightest prospects for London 2012 in BMX and Track Cycling and a Cadbury's Athlete Ambassador supporting its Spots v Stripes Community Programme, also hailed the project.

"I fell in love with BMX aged 10 on the streets of Crewe, so I've witnessed first-hand the role sport can play in connecting communities," she said.

"Through Cadbury's Spots v Stripes Community events, I've seen people from the same neighbourhood who have never connected before, come together and have fun playing games."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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