News – New funding body for Olympic culture

Plans have been announced for the establishment of a new £35m Trust which will fund and promote cultural and sporting initiatives associated with the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The Trust will receive the balance of the remaining funds held by the Millennium Commission as well as support from the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), the Big Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. At present the DCMS is seeking proposals from those willing to establish a Trust which will deliver a high profile, coherent programme of activities at a local, regional and national level between 2006 to 2012.
The application pack is released this week, with applications required by the end of May and a decision taken on a preferred candidate by the end of June. The DCMS has expressed the hope that the Trust will be established by the autumn. The new body will be required to support the annual UK School Games as well as developing a range of activities that promote the Olympic and Paralympic ideals celebrating mind, body and spirit. Other funding priorities for the new body will be supporting projects that foster innovation and creativity, that strengthen the creative and technical skills base in the UK and that encourage a joined-up approach across sport, physical activity, culture and education. Richard Caborn MP, Chair of the Millennium Commission and Minister for Sport, said, The Millennium Commissions last act as a National Lottery Distributor will be to help lay the foundations of a nationwide programme of cultural and sporting endeavour building up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I can think of no better use for our remaining Lottery money.