Olympic Cultural Trust news

The selection was made by the Millennium Commission, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Big Lottery Fund and Arts Council England.

When it is established next year, Legacy Trust UK will receive a £40 million expendable endowment (£34 million from The National Lottery and £6 million from the Exchequer) to be spent over the years leading up to and including 2012 on a UK wide programme of projects which will:

• promote the Olympic and Paralympic ideals celebrating mind, body and spirit;
  
• foster innovation and creativity;
  
• strengthen the creative and technical skills base across the UK;
  
• encourage a joined-up approach across sport, physical activity, culture and education;
  
• offer young people and diverse communities the opportunity to fully participate in the build up and delivery of the wider vision for the Games in 2012, and
  
• leave a lasting positive legacy of the 2012 Games for future generations.
  

This initiative reflects the fact the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games are a celebration of both sporting and cultural excellence. Until 1954 the Olympic Games included competitions for culture, including literature, music and art. Nowadays, this aspiration is achieved by a programme of cultural events at and around the Games. In 2012 the UK will welcome the world to London, providing opportunities to showcase the UK’s world class cultural assets, creative skills and cultural diversity. The Legacy Trust UK will help communities all across the UK have a chance to take part in cultural and sporting activities in the build up to 2012.

Legacy Trust UK Consortium has representatives from major charities, the business community and regional government bodies. It comprises the City of London, Business in the Community, East London Business Alliance, TimeBank and Yorkshire Forward.

The Consortium was selected from eleven bidders who responded to a call to submit proposals setting out a vision for the Trust. The Consortium will work up a detailed application for grant for consideration by the funders later in the year. It is hoped that this will lead to Legacy Trust UK being established early in the new year.

The creation of Legacy Trust UK is supported by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games as complementary to the 2012 Games themselves.

One of the programmes it is intended that Legacy Trust UK will fund is the UK School Games. The first UK School Games was held in Glasgow this year and the 2007 event will be held in Coventry. Cities are currently bidding to host the UK School Games from 2007-11.

Until the Legacy Trust UK has come into existence all questions regarding its operation should be directed to their appointed representatives: Sarah Adams (Operations) 07961 454 205 or Tim Walker (Media) 07786 546 258

Legacy Trust UK Consortium is not seeking grant applications at this stage. Details of the Trust’s programmes will appear on its web site www.legacytrustuk.org in due course.