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21st November 2011

Boxing Club is first to benefit from sporting legacy fund

Moss Side Boxing & Athletics Association in Manchester has become the first project to benefit from Sport England's Inspired Facilities Fund, which has proved hugely popular with community sports groups, attracting over six hundred first round applications.

Part of the £135 million Places People Play Olympic and Paralympic legacy programme, Inspired Facilities will breathe new life into tired facilities that can be unattractive to sports participants, and are difficult to maintain and run.

Attending an event at the Moss Side boxing club, Sport England Chair Richard Lewis handed over a cheque for £41,355.

"For hundreds of clubs and tens of thousands of people, 2012 will be the year their local sports facilities got better," he said. "This fund has really hit the mark with sports clubs. It shows we're offering the sporting legacy that people want and that our work to simplify the application process has paid off."

The club, which has helped thousands of local people get into sport since it opened its doors in 1981, will use the National Lottery investment to upgrade facilities at the gym.

"We are delighted to secure the first Inspired Facilities grant, which will enable us to upgrade the quality of our premises to match the quality of our boxing coaches," said Maurice Core, Head Coach and club Chair. "It is the cornerstone of our strategy to have an outstanding club for the 2012 Olympic legacy."

A further 631 sports groups will find out before Christmas whether their Inspired Facilities bid has been successful, while another 2,000 applications have been created by organisations looking to apply in the four remaining funding rounds.

Responding to the unprecedented demand, Sport England will make up to £7 million of additional awards in the first round, taking the total investment to £17 million.*

"We want to use the Olympic and Paralympics next summer to inspire a generation to get involved in sport across the country," said Hugh Robertson MP, Minister for Sport and the Olympics. "This is why as part of the £135 million Places People Play legacy programme we invited community sports clubs to apply for funding to upgrade their facilities. I am delighted that the Moss Side Boxing & Athletics Association is the first to benefit from this funding and hope it goes from strength to strength in the future."

Inspired Facilities has been designed to be as simple and accessible as possible for potential applicants, with a shorter form and a catalogue of ready-made options to choose from.

"This is a fantastic funding project that will deliver a real legacy from the London 2012 Games," said Seb Coe, LOCOG Chair. "It will provide a whole range of sporting opportunities for young people through improved facilities and will I hope inspire them to take up sport."

Find out more about the Inspired Facilities fund