Adnan Ouedraogo
Sports management insights for everyone...
Extension of financial Resources for English grassroots Sports Clubs
Sport England just announced that they are going to invest another 40 million pounds in grass root projects throughout the country. This extends their Olympic and Paralympic legacy fund until the year of 2017.
321 sports projects are benefitting from the boost of around 16 million pounds and are therefore receiving funds for new locker rooms, playing facilities and floodlights. The 321 bidders where chosen in a National Lottery on the anniversary of the Olympic closing ceremony.
Examples of investments of grass root sports clubs/projects:
- Warrington Gymnastics Club is investing 50.000 pounds in moving into a new facility in their town and improving the facility
- Birmingham City Clubs for Young People invests 50.000 pounds in expanding their boxing gym and adding a locker room for women
- Sheffield FC Futsal invests 48.299 pounds in a portable Futsal floor to make Futsal accessible to more people in Sheffield
“A year on from the Olympics, it’s inspiring to see how our investment is transforming sporting facilities in hundreds of communities. The great news for sports clubs across the country is that we’re putting an extra £40 million into Inspired Facilities so many more projects will benefit in the coming years.” Nick Bitel (Sport England Chairman)
Until today 1.361 clubs and grass root projects have benefitted from a total of 69.9 million pounds. Minister for Sport Hugh Robertson and Sport England Chairman Nick Bitel showed great satisfaction about the extension by 40 million pounds.
My Opinion
The fact that the London 2012 legacy is expanded, shows the honest approach of the English government and governing bodies to make sports accessible throughout the whole country. Remarkable, is also the equal division of resources throughout the different projects. It is a really positive thing to see that the English are still enthusiastic about the anniversary of the London 2012 Olympics and try their best to capitalise of the sporting boost it has given their country. I suppose this enthusiasm, as an aftermath to the Olympics, is what the IOC highly values and appreciates. We can only hope for more hosts of the Olympics (for example Brazil and Rio) to expand their legacy in the aftermath of the games, because this will contribute to spread international grass root sports in a sustainable way. Further, it can also be an indication of the aim of England and Great Britain to maintain the good results they have reached during the London Olympics.