The Financial Times has helped launch a Pop-Up Mini Olympics site in Southwark, London, used by local school children.

The project, run by BOST and the Southwark Council and sponsored by corporate supporters including the FT, has seen a disused public space transformed into a mini Olympics site. Open until October 2012, the area is used by children at 11 nearby schools, local young people and families. It features 400 tons of sand for beach volleyball, state of the art astroturf, table tennis, badminton, tennis, football, fixed wheel bikes, an athletics track and more.

In line with the Olympic vision, the site aims to kick start a legacy development of open space and provide permanent quality sporting facilities in Southwark. A mini-Olympics festival taking place throughout the summer will see thousands of children taking part in free sporting activities run by coaches and instructors.

Fiona Pryor, BOST Project Manager, said: “We are grateful to the FT for helping make this amazing sports project happen. The site is open to all ages and in July alone we had 7,000 people trying out new sports. Our aim now is to build a sustainable sports garden at the site which we hope will attract corporate interest for parties and sponsorship, allowing us to continue providing free sports to the public to enjoy”.

The FT’s corporate responsibility programme supports charities and organisations promoting the local community, education, journalism and the environment. More information can be found here.

For information about booking the space for corporate events, please email fiona@bost.org.uk