The P&G Family Home for London 2012

I have an Olympic blog exclusive for you. Last night I attended a rather special housewarming party to launch the P&G Global Family Home at Vinopolis in London. I was the only blogger there, rubbing shoulders with Carol Hoy, Pat Radcliffe, Pauline Pendleton, Pat Payne, Vinnie Ennis and Alison Powell. You may not know them, but you will have heard of their children, Sir Chris Hoy, Paula Radcliffe, Victoria Pendleton, Keri-Anne Payne and Jessica Ennis.

Photo credit

Marc Pritchard, P&G’s Global Brand Building Officer, welcomed the families of 10,000 Olympic athletes from around the world. He said "We asked athletes what we could do to support them here in London and they told us that Moms and families from around the world don’t have a place to really relax and be together at the Games. We have been in the business of serving moms and families for 175 years. So it makes sense for us to celebrate the athletes by serving their moms and families.”

We were shown a series of videos from the Thank You Mum campaign, including one featuring President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge. He said “P&G is making an important and unique contribution to these Olympic Games by creating a warm, welcoming space where the families of some of the world’s greatest athletes can come together. Athletes can be reassured that while at the P&G Family Home their families will be well cared for, thus enabling them to focus on doing their best on the field of play.

As well as the Family Home, where families can gather to watch the Games, take their laundry, play with their children and receive hair and spa treatments, P&G have used a large proportion of their allocation of Games tickets to send all of the families to the Opening Ceremony to watch their children enter the stadium.

“Every mum knows that encouraging your kids to play sports is not just about raising champions,” said Carol Hoy, mother to Team GB’s Sir Chris Hoy. “I was proud of Chris when he was a little boy winning the egg-and-spoon race, and I’m proud of him now as an Olympian. Thanks to P&G, I’ll be there to cheer him on in the Velodrome, and visit him in the P&G Family Home.”

We were treated to a live performance by X-Factor finalist Rebecca Ferguson. My goodness, that girl has a stunning voice.

I got to hang out with the woman behind the tweets, my friend Glenda @thankyoumum

The joyful atmosphere at the party was not only due to the free-flowing champagne, but also because the families could relax ahead of a tense fortnight of sport. The excitement and anticipation was clear.

Pauline Pendleton told me how nervous she was, but also how proud she is of her amazing daughter. She didn't distinguish between Victoria and her other children. I guess that is why I like the Thank You Mum campaign. We may not have Olympians for children, but whatever they end up doing they will always be our babies.

Hats off to P&G for making sure the athletes' families could get to London, stay in London and hang out together at the P&G Family Home.


Disclosure:
Thank you to Becca (H&K) and P&G for the invitation, and for paying for my travel expenses to this awesome event. NB: I rarely use the word awesome, but, hey, IT'S THE OLYMPICS.



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