Olympic facilities to get £10m upgrade

The upgrade fund is available to schools, universities, sports clubs and leisure centres near London that become official Games-time training venues.

London 2012 and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) are, respectively, managing the project and funding the majority of the capital works needed.

Deals have been struck with 16 venues. Another 12, mainly football training facilities outside London, are due to sign-up by the end of the year.

London 2012 chair Lord Coe, speaking at Redbridge Sports & Leisure Centre – the first venue to be signed up – said: "These are first-rate venues that will provide excellent training facilities for athletes getting ready for the biggest sporting competition in their careers.

"It is important that they have high-quality training areas for their final preparations. Funding from the ODA has helped upgrade these facilities.

"This is a tangible benefit of the Games because these upgrades will be available for use afterwards, ensuring that local communities have access to the facilities as well."

Olympics and Paralympic athletes from more than 200 countries will use the sport-specific facilities from July 16 2012, 11 days before the Games begin, as part of their final preparations for London 2012.

The training venues are to be open to them when they move in to the Athletes' Village in Stratford, east London, through to the end of the Paralympic Games on September 9 2012.

They must be no more than 30 minutes away from the site and must also offer medical facilities, changing rooms and catering.