Sport England today announced a £493 million four-year investment to help fulfil Lord Coe’s pledge that the Games would get more people – young and old, women and men – playing sport.
More than £83 million of the funding will be used to support the development of talented young athletes in 43 sports. Canoeing and sailing are among the sports receiving increased investment to further improve their strong talent programmes.
At least 60 per cent of the investment announced today will support young people aged between 14 and 25.
Cycling, netball, wheelchair basketball and triathlon are among the sports being rewarded for their strong plans and excellent progress on grassroots sport, all receiving funding increases of over 30 per cent.
Recognising that more needs to be done to make sport a practical lifestyle choice for disabled people, 40 sports have now developed detailed plans to tackle this challenge. Each will have specific targets for increasing the number of disabled people taking part.
Tim Lamb, chief executive of the Sport and Recreation Alliance said:
"We welcome the funding announced by Sport England today, which will go a long way to ensure that some of the excellent projects and initiatives being carried out up and down the country by our members continue to flourish and encourage greater participation in a wide range of sports.
"But as an organisation that represents more than 300 different sports and recreational pursuits, we must not forget that there is a wider spectrum of organisations and activities that need our recognition and support too.
"Grassroots sport is like a recipe, and providing funds for the sport’s governing bodies is a vital ingredient. School sport, and the need for better club and local facilities are also essential components that must not be overlooked if we are to succeed at this crucial time."
For further comment from the Sport and Recreation Alliance contact communications officer Libby Jellie on 020 7976 3933.
