Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has launched a £280,000 skills and employment project in conjunction with Westminster-based, community-led sports and youth charity, London Tigers.

The project, funded by the Mayor’s London Development Agency, will provide training and support to 900 people in Brent, Camden, Ealing, Tower Hamlets and Westminster over a three-year period, developing their skills to help them find work.

Livingstone said: “London Tigers has a strong track record on promoting sports in the community and this grant will help it use its unique strengths to support hundreds of people.

London Tigers is one of 27 employment, training and skills projects across London that will receive a total amount of £11m in funding to help Londoners take full advantage of an array of opportunities being created by the 2012 Games.

“£11m of Opportunities Fund grants will provide more than 14,000 Londoners with the training and support they need to make the most of the huge opportunities brought by the London 2012 Games, from new sports coaches, cooks and builders,” added Livingstone.

Mesba Ahmed, chief executive of London Tigers, said: “This is really great news for hundreds of young people in Westminster, Brent, Tower Hamlets, Camden and Ealing.

“Thanks to the grant from the Opportunities Fund, we will support 900 Londoners, making sure they have the right skills and experience to find work and make the most of the growing demand for skilled workers because of the 2012 Games.”