Reference number
  • S/001
Alternative reference code(s)
  • SOL
Level
  • Collection
Date(s)
  • 1988 - 2012
Extent and medium
  • 219 files, 54 CDs, 9 banners, 8 t-shirts, 8 medals, 8 DVDs, 7 ribbons, 7 photographic prints, 6 pin badges, 6 bags, 4 hats, 3 wristbands, 3 weepuls, 3 photographic contact sheets, 2 posters, 2 plaques, 2 patches, 2 flags, 2 sashes, 2 phone charms, 2 pens, 2 lanyards, 2 books, 1 rosette, 1 CD wallet and 1 vinyl record
Description
  • ┆Papers of Steve Humphries, Games Director of Special Olympics Leicester 2009. Includes material relating to the bid to host the Games, governance and management, fundraising and sponsorship, marketing and press, volunteering, the Law Enforcement Torch Run, the cultural programme, tourism, the education programme, ambassadors and friends of SOL \[Special Olympics Leicester\], families, medical, sports events and facilities, ceremonies, publications, audio visual and photographic material, evaluation and legacy. Also includes material relating to the intersection between Special Olympics Leicester 2009 and the London 2012 Olympic Games and material relating to previous olympics gathered for research purposes.
Administrative history
  • ┆_The Special Olympics Movement_ The Special Olympics movement was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of President of the United States of America John F Kennedy. Shriver believed that the Olympic ideals of sport could give confidence and new hope to people with learning disabilities and to those who cared for them. Words of the speech Shriver gave at the inaugural Special Olympics International Games in 1968 have since become the Special Olympics Oath: "Let me win, but if I cannot win let me be brave in the attempt". In February 1988, Special Olympics was granted official recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Special Olympics provides year-round sports coaching and athletic competition in summer and winter sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. All abilities are included and athletes are celebrated for what they can achieve rather than what they cannot. World Special Olympics Games are held every two years, alternating between summer and winter games. _Special Olympics in Britain_ The Special Olympics movement in Britain began in 1978. It was founded by Chris Maloney MBE. Maloney had been teaching swimming to people with intellectual (learning) disabilities since the 1960s. Maloney became aware of the Special Olympics movement in the United States of America and sought to establish a similar programme in Britain. Special Olympics UK was developed as part of the global Special Olympics movement. Local and regional training programmes for athletes with intellectual disabilities were established across Britain, often in conjunction with local councils, sports centres and clubs. By 1979 there were 60 local Special Olympics groups across the country. In the same year, Britain sent a team of 32 athletes to compete in the Special Olympics International Games in New York. The first Special Olympics Great Britain National Games were held in 1982 in Liverpool. _Special Olympics UK, later Special Olympics Great Britain_ Special Olympics UK was incorporated as a private company limited by guarantee on 30 September 1988 and registered as a charity on 2 November 1988. In December 2001 the name was changed to Special Olympics Great Britain. The organisation is also known as Special Olympics GB and SOGB. _Special Olympics Leicester 2009_ The papers and artefacts in this collection were compiled and kept by Steve Humphries. Humphries worked as Sports & Parks Brand Manager for Leicester City Council in 2006/2007 at the time Leicester submitted a bid to host the 2009 Special Olympics. He was a strong advocate for the bid and contributed to initial planning for the event before being officially appointed as Games Director on 1 November 2007. The items in this collection reflect Humphries' involvement in Special Olympics Leicester 2009 over several years, from the very earliest stages through to the legacy of the Games. As a whole, this collection records the planning, organisation and delivery of a major sporting event. Leicester had previously hosted the 1989 Special Olympic Games. The bid to host the 2009 competition was promoted as a chance for the Games to come back to Leicester a decade on. The result of the bid was announced on 11 July 2007. A press conference and celebration event were held in Leicester Town Hall on 13 July 2007. In October 2007 a company named Leicester Games 2009 Limited was formed to undertake legal governance of the Leicester 2009 Special Olympics. It was registered as a charity in June 2009. Day-to-day planning, organisation and management of the Games were delegated to the Games Organising Committee led by Games Director Steve Humphries. The Games Organising Committee reported to the Board of Directors of Leicester Games 2009 Limited but was itself divided into multiple directorates each responsible for a specific function. The papers and artefacts in this collection are arranged into series which mirror this reporting structure. The main functional areas are: fundraising and sponsorship; marketing and PR; volunteering; cultural programme; tourism; education programme; families; medical; sports events and facilities (including awards); ceremonies; and legacy. Special Olympics Leicester 2009 was the 8th National Summer Games held in Great Britain. It took place from 25 to 31 July 2009. Over 2,400 athletes from 19 Special Olympics regions of the UK visited Leicester, along with 1,200 coaches. More than 1,500 volunteers contributed to the success of the Games. **Sources of Information:** * Documents in Special Olympics Leicester 2009 collection S/001 * Information filed with Companies House for _Leicester Games 2009 Limited_ _(Company Number 06395198)_ and _SOL Leicester Trading Limited_ _(Company Number: 06665074)_ * Information filed with Charity Commission for _Leicester Games 2009 Limited (Charity Number: 1130176)_ * Information filed with Companies House for _Special Olympics Great Britain (Company Number: 02301452)_ * Information filed with Charity Commission for _Special Olympics Great Britain (Charity Number:_ _800329)_ * 'History' page on Special Olympics Great Britain website: https://www.specialolympicsgb.org.uk/who-we-are/history \[accessed 26 January 2021\] * Special Olympics website: www.specialolympics.org \[accessed 26 January 2021\] * Barton, Susan, 'A Sporting Chance: The History of Special Olympics Great Britain' (De Montfort University, Leicester: 2009)
Conditions governing access
  • Open and available for general access
Conditions governing reproduction
  • Copies may be made for private research purposes only
Language/scripts of material
  • English
  • Dutch
  • French
  • Irish
  • Chinese
System of arrangement
  • Arranged in 21 series which broadly reflect the functional areas of activity outlined in the organisational structure: 01 Bid Documentation 02 Previous Olympics and Sports Research 03 Governance and Management 04 Fundraising and Sponsorship 05 Marketing, Promotion and Press 06 Volunteering 07 Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics 08 Cultural Programme and Cultural Olympiad 09 Tourism 10 Education Programme 11 SOL [Special Olympics Leicester] Ambassadors and Friends of SOL 12 Families 13 Medical 14 Sports Events and Facilities 15 Ceremonies 16 Official Publications 17 Audio Visual 18 Photographs 19 Evaluation 20 Legacy 21 London 2012
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
  • Donated to the International Centre for Sports History and Culture at DMU, who passed the collection to the Archive
Related units of description
  • A19/018 A set of questionnaires for the Special Olympics from the 2009 project S/008: PAPERS OF DR SUSAN BARTON RELATING TO THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Publication notes
  • Learning Disability, Sport and Legacy: A Report by the Legacy Research Group on the Special Olympics GB National Summer Games, Leicester 2009, (with Neil Carter, Richard Holt and John Williams), 2011 A Sporting Chance: the history of Special Olympics GB, Special Olympics Leicester, June 2009
Archivist's note
  • Box listed in February-March 2016 by Steven Peachey, Archives Assistant Catalogued 2020