Lottery funding boosts UK sport

National Lottery funding over the past seven years means that sport in the UK is now at an unprecedented level, according to UK Sport.

Since May 1997, when a change in legislation meant that investment could be made in people as well as bricks and mortar, the Lottery has invested a total of £167m in UK Olympic and Paralympic sport.

UK Sport chair Sue Campbell said: “Every athlete who has received Lottery funding will have a story to tell of the difference it has made to their Olympic dream, but the bottom line is that the Lottery has helped us take sport in the UK to a new level.”

Meanwhile, UK Sport has contributed towards raising Britain’s international sporting profile. So far, the organisation has invested £11m in bringing major sporting events to the UK with the World Class Events Programme (WCEP).

Staging events in the UK mean that British athletes compete on home turf and also provides local economies with large economic boosts.

Highlights of the WCEP have included the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham and the Amateur Boxing Championships in Belfast.

Campbell said: “Our task is now to make the National Lottery money work even harder and ensure that we deliver sustained success in sports that matter to the British public.

“The funding has allowed us to compete on a level with the world’s leading sporting nations, now we need to apply our world famous ingenuity to give us a competitive edge.” Details: www.uksport.gov.uk