Sport England has awarded £38.3m into community sports clubs and coaches across England.

The investment will fund 2,647 improved sports clubs and train 654 coaches between now and March 2010 in order to increase opportunities for people to get more involved in sport.

Chair Derek Mapp said: “Clubs and coaches are at the heart of community sport. This investment will play a vital role in helping us achieve our aim of getting two million people participating more in sport by 2012. This is a major boost for community sport and will make the job of people on the ground who make sport happen much easier.”

The regional awards comprise around £3.2m each for East and East Midlands; £4m for West Midlands; £3.8m for South East; £2.1m for South West; £3m for North East; £5.1m for North West; £4.4m for Yorkshire and £3.6m for London.

The remaining £5.5m will be invested in national governing bodies of sport (NGBs) at a national level for support officers to clubs and coaches.

Minister for sport Richard Caborn said: “We are investing £160m of public money into community sports clubs and coaching in the four years to 2008. We have put 3,000 community coach posts in place and have built or refurbished over 1,000 sports clubs.

“This additional £38m will help strengthen community sport further and underlines the commitment Sport England and the government have in increasing sport participation up and down the country.”

Mapp added: “This is much needed good news for community sport. Sport England is focused on how we can energise the nation and get them doing more sport.”