Nick Raynsford MP visited Greenwich University Civil Engineering students last week at the construction site of the 2012 Olympics. Greenwich students, along with teams from universities East London, South Bank and Imperial, have been taking part in the annual week-long ‘hand-on’ engineering project, Constructionarium. The project involves the building of smaller-scale constructions of prominent UK landmarks and is designed to recreate the appearance and atmosphere of working on a real large-scale civil engineering project

Nick says: ‘I am a keen supporter of this scheme which enables students to experience the hours, conditions and challenges of working in a construction site. The  bringing together of the theory and reality of construction is an excellent way to prepare students for work in the industry when they go on to be the UK’s future’s civil engineers. The scheme is also a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of Greenwich University’s first-rate Engineering Department and I am delighted that this year it is taking place on the construction site of the 2012 Olympics’.

Nick combined his visit with an up-date tour of recent developments at the Olympic site.

Nick says: ‘I have visited the site many times and on each occasion I am deeply impressed by the speed of development. The iconic Aquatics Centre is really starting to take shape, which will only compliment the impressive presence which can already be felt at the Stadium. I would strongly recommend that people in Greenwich and Woolwich, who are going to hugely benefit from the Olympics, take advantage of the free tours of the site’.

Evening and weekends bus tours of the construct site are available for the general public this summer. You can book yourself onto a tour by calling the Olympic Development Agency on 0300 2012 001. Please note that demand for these tours is high. There is also an opportunity to experience a virtual tour of the site by visiting www.london2012.com/plans/olympic-park and following the link.