Olympics' £135m legacy in grassroots unveiled

The 135m Lottery-funded programme called Places People Play was announced yesterday as organisers try to live up to their promise to use London 2012 to inspire a new generation to participate in sport.

Billed by Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson as the "cornerstone of grassroots legacy", it aims to reach two million people – with tackling sport facilities across the country amongst its top priorities.

Owners and organisers of local sports clubs will be able to apply for grants of up to 150,000 to improve their facilities, with millions also earmarked to carry out improvement work to hundreds of playing fields around the country.

Sport England are delivering the scheme along with the British Olympic Association (BOA) and the British Paralympic Association, with the backing of London 2012 .

Jennie Price, chief executive of Sport England, said up to 98m of the fund will be new money and up to 38m will be from money that has already been identified for such initiatives.

The scheme also includes a number of other targets, including the recruitment of 40,000 "sports leaders" to help organise and lead grassroots sports and the Gold Challenge – an initiative to encourager 100,000 adults to test themselves in every Olympic and Paralympic sport while raising money in the process.

The project will also fund Sportivate, a nationwide campaign to provide opportunities for teenagers and young adults to get six weeks of coaching in the sport of their choice and helping them into regular participation in their community. Organisers also want to create a lasting legacy of high quality sports facilities in the country, with investment in high quality multi-sport buildings planned to "set the standards for future facilities development".

Mr Robertson said: "With more Lottery money being invested in facilities, volunteering and protecting and improving playing fields, there will be opportunities for everyone to get involved." He also pledged not to "fiddle" with the scheme after the years of hard work to try and run it.

Olympic organiser Lord Coe said: "When we bid for the Games in Singapore in 2005, we said that we would use the power of the Games to inspire young people to take up sport.

"Place People Play will harness the inspirational power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to promote sport across the country to leave a lasting legacy of sporting facilities, trained volunteers and more people participating in sport. This is what we set out to achieve from bringing the Games to London and the UK."

However there was disquiet from former Labour Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell who said the measures did no go far enough to make up for the coalition Government's decision to suspend funding for School Sports Partnerships, which was worth 162m per year and helped vastly improve levels of exercise amongst youngsters.

She said: "This additional money is welcome, but it goes nowhere near replacing the funds that the Coalition have already taken away from sport, particularly sport in schools.

"However they dress it up, the Olympic legacy promise that we made to this country's young people is yet another promise that has been broken by the Coalition Government."

Mr Robertson however countered that: "In the circumstances in which we find ourselves this is an extremely good offer."

2012 Games seek musicians for anthem

A talent search has begun to fnd the musicians who will play the national anthems at the London 2012 Games.

London 2012 have invited expressions of interest from Uk-based orchestras who will have to master and record the 209 national anthems needed for the medal and team welcome ceremonies.

World class orchestras are being sought. They must also have proven experience of working on either large-scale film or tv productions with a minimum of 30 professionally qualifed and experienced musicians.

Hearing the anthem at the medal ceremonies "is one of the most emotive parts of any Games," said london 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton.