Legacy Trust UK Approve Proposals For 2012 Olympic Celebrations In West Midlands
To ignite ambition in the West Midlands and to celebrate the hosting of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games the Legacy Trust UK has approved an outline proposal for a range of activities and events across the region.Moving Together aims to create a step change in the number and range of people in the West Midlands who take part in dance and sporting activity. It will bring people together for community activities of all kinds from across generations, cultures, religious backgrounds, races, social groups and geographical locations with the aim of creating exchange between people who otherwise would not interact with each other, and contributing to their physical and mental well-being. The programme will encourage community participation in sport, cultural activity and dance, to encourage people to get their bodies moving, to take up dance and sport so that it becomes an integral part of people's lives.
Mark Pearce, Corporate Director for Economic Regeneration at Advantage West Midlands, said: "Tourism and leisure is vital to the economic well-being of the region, generating approximately £6 billion per year and supporting around 115,000 jobs. Major cultural and sporting events in the region make a key contribution to this growing sector of the economy, generating £390 million in 2005 and supporting around 7,400 full-time equivalent jobs.
Advantage West Midlands welcomes Legacy Trust's approval of the region’s outline proposals. Alongside plans for the Cultural Olympiad, the opportunities provided by a series of major anniversaries in 2009, and events such as the Birmingham International Dance Festival, the region’s Legacy Trust supported projects will add to the vibrancy and cultural diversity that makes the West Midlands a great place to visit, invest, work, learn and live. We look forward to working closely with partners in developing and supporting a full business plan."
Brian Woods-Scawen, Chair of Culture West Midlands, said: "Today's announcement is excellent news for the West Midlands. The West Midlands is home to a number of extraordinary cultural assets and by focussing on dance and a community based version of the Much Wenlock Olympian Games, we are building on unique and distinctive strengths within our region as well as celebrating our rich cultural heritage."
Paul Kaynes, West Midlands Creative Programmer London 2012, added: "The West Midlands already has a reputation for excellence in dance ranging from internationally acclaimed dance companies to the new Birmingham International Dance Festival and a strong network of community based dance organisations, many of them reflecting the ethnic diversity of the region. The fact that the region is also home to the Much Wenlock Olympian Games which inspired Pierre de Coubertin when he founded the modern Olympic movement, makes plans to roll out a similar model across the region particularly fitting. The ability of both of these strands of activity to unite and engage people whatever their age or background is central to our plans for ensuring that the 2012 Cultural Olympiad touches and inspires as many people across the West Midlands as possible."
At the board meeting on 19th March, Legacy Trust UK approved outline proposals for the use of its allocated funding (approximately 50% of the total endowment) to eleven of the twelve nations and regions. This funding is approved to enable each area to work up a detailed business plan working in partnership to deliver programmes including culture, knowledge, sport and well-being leaving a lasting legacy in communities as a result of London 2012.
Dugald Mackie, Chair of Board of Legacy Trust UK, said, "Legacy Trust UK has allocated funds to each region and country of the UK to develop and support innovative and exciting projects in communities embracing the values of the 2012 Games. The outline proposals so far submitted are inspirational and certainly fit the bill. We look forward to working with each nation and region to make these projects a reality and to leave a lasting legacy throughout the UK."
It is intended that Legacy Trust UK funds will act as a catalyst for activities which will attract other funding and ensure a truly UK wide experience of the Olympic and Paralympic Games by building on and strengthening existing partnerships and joining sport and culture in new and innovative activities.
The strategy to allocate funding through the Regional Cultural Consortia in England and Government, Arts and Sports organisations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is to ensure that there is UK wide funding and activity in support of London 2012. The funding is roughly allocated with the following split – Culture 70% and Sport 30%.
Each nation and regions has chosen a theme under which to develop a programme of activities that will leave a legacy of the 2012 Games in communities throughout the UK. The themes range from ‘Moving Together’ a programme to encourage mass community participation in sport, cultural activity and dance in the West Midlands to ‘The Power of the Flame in Wales’, using the arts to develop capacity in communities and ‘i move .·. i am’ - a four year exploration of the moving body across all cultural forms, sports and science which aims to transform the way people feel and think about their moving bodies in Yorkshire and the Humber.
Each nation and region has until mid June to submit a detailed business plan showing what activities will be delivered, who will be involved and how this will leave a lasting legacy in communities throughout the UK.
They have also identified additional funding and in kind support to help realise the ambition of doubling the size of the endowment to £80 million.
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For further UK wide information please contact Moira Swinbank, LTUK, CEO on 07740 422673 www.legacytrustuk.com.
West Midlands Contact
Paul Kaynes
West Midlands Creative Programmer
London 2012
Culture West Midlands
The Regional Partnership Centre
Albert House
Quay Place
Edward Street
Birmingham B1 2RA
t: 0121 678 1072
f: 0121 678 1049
e: p.kaynes@culturewm.org.uk
www.culturewm.org.uk
Notes to editors
- Legacy Trust UK has been established as a charitable trust to use funding endowed by the Big Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The total endowment is £40million with £6million ring fenced for the UK Schools Games
- Scotland is working to a longer timetable taking account of the Commonwealth Games too and will submit the outline proposal shortly.