Great Expectations

With the Olympic Games arriving in London in 2012, the BBC World Service will be following the experiences of residents living in one inner city housing estate as they contemplate what the games mean to them and their future.

Presenter Nina Robinson will be meeting residents of an estate in Hackney, East London. Their backgrounds span many corners of the world from Hackney, to Jamaica, Turkey, Algeria, Senegal and India.

In the build up to the Games, Nina will be regularly returning to the estate to find out how the huge multi-billion dollar investment and regeneration plans are affecting them, many of whom are dealing with issues of crime, social exclusion and poverty.

Some residents fear that crime and a widening gap between the rich and poor will increase. Also, with all the reconstruction that is underway, many are scared that they will be priced out of the area altogether.

On the positive side, some residents feel that the new facilities will give them better prospects, whether that be taking advantage of improved transport links, moving into new housing, or just reading from the brand new library.

First broadcast 24th February 2010