Communities to share £9m Commonwealth Games legacy funding

A £9 million pot of Commonwealth Games legacy cash is being made available for grassroots projects that will unite communities across the West Midlands and get local people more physically and mentally active.

From yesterday community groups, charities, not-for-profit organisations, schools and colleges can now bid for a share of the Inclusive Communities Fund - the biggest amount of legacy money to be given out in public grants.

Grants of between £500 and £300,000 are available for projects that will ensure the positive and long-lasting legacy from last summer’s Games is felt right across the region.

These could include improvements to local facilities, grassroots sports, community, arts and cultural events, and major projects. All must share the Fund’s goal of bringing people together, improving health and wellbeing, helping the region to grow, and putting the region on the map.

The money is being made available for the benefit of local people after the Government agreed to invest the £70 million Games underspend back into the region following successful negotiations led by Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

The Inclusive Communities Fund is being delivered by the WMCA in partnership with the Heart of England Community Foundation and United by 2022, the Official Games Legacy Charity.

The Mayor said: “With this new fund, we’re putting a significant amount of cash directly into the hands of local people in communities right across our region for them to decide exactly how to spend it.

“Right from the moment the West Midlands was chosen to host the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, we were clear that the Games must leave a lasting legacy at grassroots level far beyond the summer of sporting spectacle. This money shows we’re delivering on that objective.

“Whether that’s better facilities in neighbourhoods, events that help forge new friendships, or activities that improve our collective health and wellbeing, I would encourage as many people as possible to step forward and bid for their share of this cash. I look forward to seeing lives changed for the better in the months and years ahead.”

Tina Costello, chief executive of the Heart of England Community Foundation, said: “This fund represents a fantastic opportunity to create positive, lasting change and we look forward to supporting local organisations in their efforts to make a meaningful difference across the West Midlands and Warwickshire”.

Nicola Turner, chief executive of United by 2022, said: “We want to offer communities that are traditionally overlooked and under-served, an opportunity to successfully apply for a slice of the £9 million Commonwealth Games Legacy funding.”

Find out more details and how to apply to the Inclusive Communities Fund.

Pictured: Nicola Turner, Perry, Birmingham 2022's official mascot; Tina Costello, chief executive of the Heart of England Community Foundation; and Andy Street