The Odd Down Community Hub, being developed by the Council, has secured Olympic legacy funding from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Fund.
The Inspired Facilities fund is part of the £150million Places People Play legacy programme that is bringing the magic of a home Olympic and Paralympic Games into communities across the country. Every sports facility that receives funding will carry the London 2012 Inspire mark – celebrating the link to the Games.
Bath & North East Somerset Council is receiving £141,403 of National Lottery funding to upgrade the facilities at Odd Down playing fields including a new 1.5km “closed road” cycling circuit, a full size floodlit 3G Astro Pitch, improved grass pitches and new changing and social facilities. Work is already underway on the new cycling circuit, funded by British Cycling.
Councillor David Dixon (Lib-Dem, Oldfield), Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “We’re extremely grateful to the National Lottery and Sport England for their support for the Odd Down Community Hub. Bath & North East Somerset Council is keen to ensure that anyone inspired by last year’s summer of sporting success has the chance to participate in sports and enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
“The new site will be for everybody, from children and families to the more competitive sports enthusiast, and we’re pleased to be working with local people so they can get actively involved in the delivery of improvements in their community.”
Sport England’s Chair, Richard Lewis, said: “This National Lottery investment will create a lasting sporting legacy for Bath and North East Somerset.
“This fund has really hit the mark with sports clubs in the South West. It shows we’re offering the legacy that people want for their local community. For hundreds of clubs and tens of thousands of people, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games were the reason their local sports facilities got better.”
The Odd Down Community Hub is one of hundreds of projects across England benefitting from lottery investment through the third round of the Inspired Facilities fund. Many more communities will also be able to benefit from the fund, with a further two rounds remaining. Bids will be accepted for the fourth round of Inspired Facilities Funding from 4rd March 2013. You can find out more at www.sportengland.org/inspiredfacilities.
Places People Play is being delivered by Sport England, working in partnership with the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association with the backing of The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the London 2012 Inspire mark.
LOCOG Chair, Seb Coe, said: “This is a fantastic funding project that will deliver a real legacy from the London 2012 Games. It will provide a whole range of sporting opportunities for young people through improved facilities and will I hope inspire them to take up sport.”
