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Brown's Budget bodes well for athletes

22/03/2006

Britain's aspiring athletes have been boosted today after Gordon Brown confirmed that an extra £200 million of public money is to be raised for training young talent in an attempt to produce champions in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Announcing his annual Budget, the chancellor revealed that the substantial sum of public money will be invested as part of an additional £600 million package.

The government, the London Authority and the national lottery have already agreed funding of £3.4 billion for the 2012 Olympics but today's extra funds will go towards what Mr Brown, termed, "the next stage" of the programme.

"For training and facilities for our world class athletes of the future, I can announce £200 million of public money to be matched by raising £100 million in sponsorship from the private sector, and with another £300 million from the lottery," the chancellor said. "Over £600 million in total: world class funding for world class athletes."

But training and facilities represents just one area to receive investment and Mr Brown confirmed that three other initiatives will also be heavily backed to make sport more accessible for youngsters.

"The Olympics will inspire young people all across Britain and we must open up to them new opportunities to take part in sports," he continued.

"So today we are announcing that each year, from now until 2012, there will be a schools Olympics. Starting in Glasgow this year, and in a different city each year, we will fund annual national competitions in Olympic events open to all school children throughout the United Kingdom."

An Olympic trust fund will also be established and will be responsible for nationwide sports and cultural events which will take place during the Olympics.

"And we are today announcing initial funding of £34 million for a new national sports foundation starting next week which, modelled on the football foundation's success, will bring together public and private finance for new local sports facilities and grassroots participation," he added.

The focus of the Budget finances will be the future, Mr Brown repeated, stressing: "The games will end in 2012, but their legacy must continue, benefiting not just London but the whole country."

Tessa Jowell, Olympics minister and the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, welcomed the Budget's funding and claimed it "creates exactly the right environment for our young sportsmen and women to prosper in Beijing in 2008 and at our own Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012".

She added: "This funding will allow UK Sport and our governing bodies to set in motion the most ambitious programme we've ever seen in this country for spotting talent and turning it into medal success on the world stage.

"We have all been thrilled by the achievements of competitors from the UK [at the Commonwealth Games] in Melbourne and with this new funding we can prepare for an even brighter future with many more gold medals to celebrate."

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