£3m funding boost for sports and cultural events

Nine cultural and sporting events set to take place in the West Midlands have shared £3 million of Commonwealth Games legacy funding to help bring hundreds of thousands of people together in the region.

Giving an estimated £11.5 million boost to the local economy, almost 700,000 competitors, performers and spectators are expected to attend the events in 2024 and 2025 to celebrate the region’s rich and diverse sporting, music and cultural heritage.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the UK Government are supporting the organisers with money from the £70 million Games underspend which is being reinvested back into the region.

The events that are to receive this funding are:

• ESL One - Dota II esports tournament, Solihull, 26-28 April 2024 - £145,000
• European Judo Union Junior Cup, Walsall, 15-19 June 2024 – £250,000
• Black Country Festival, 1-31 July, 2024 - £365,000
• Godiva Festival ‘Worldwide Welcome’, Coventry, 5-7 July 2024 - £500,000
• Reggae Fever - Celebration of Caribbean Culture, Coventry, 20 July 2024 - £250,000
• Birmingham Weekender Festival, 22-25 August 2024 - £350,000
• SuperDome esports tournament, Solihull, 5-8 September - £250,000
• West Midlands Urban Sports, Wolverhampton, 6-8 September 2024 - £390,000
• Kabaddi World Cup, 24-31 March 2025 - £500,000

West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “It was always our intention that the Commonwealth Games should leave a lasting legacy far beyond the sporting spectacle - as wonderful as that was.

“With this £3 million of Games legacy funding, we’re turning words into action. This money will help us to host the Kabaddi World Cup and will support the organisers of well-established local events such as the Godiva Festival in Coventry, Birmingham Weekender and the Black Country Festival - alongside some new events.

“Collectively, this backing will bring in hundreds of thousands of people to our region, give a welcome boost to local businesses and provide valuable jobs and volunteering opportunities for local people. I look forward to seeing the difference this support makes on the ground and celebrating all that is great about the West Midlands in the months and years ahead.”

Neil Rami, chief executive of the West Midlands Growth Company, said: “We saw during the 2022 Commonwealth Games – where record numbers of visitors and businesses came to the West Midlands – the hugely important role culture and sport play in our regional economy.

“The Commonwealth Games legacy funding is designed to enable the region to carry on that momentum. We received a healthy interest in the fund from applicants across the West Midlands and have selected an exciting calendar of inclusive and sustainable events set to engage our diverse communities and continue driving tourism and investment into the region over the coming years.

“This kicks off with the first recipient of this funding, the SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit in April, where we look forward to welcoming sport's global decision makers to grow our sporting events calendar even further.”

Following discussions between the Mayor and the WMCA’s local authority partners the UK Government has decided to invest the remaining £70 million into the region to enhance the legacy of the Games and ensure the benefits continue their positive impact for many years to come.

Businesses and community groups can find out more about how to benefit from the WMCA’s Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund through their website.

Pictured: Beverley Knight with Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) chair, at last year's Black Country Festival. This year's festival is being supported with funding from the WMCA.