The lives of 800,000 residents have benefited from £13m of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games legacy funding, it was claimed today.
Grants of between £500 and £300,000 have since helped create 700 jobs and train thousands of people, giving them new skills to get a job or volunteering role, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) said.
“Game-changer” for Alum Rock centre
Basharat Dad, founder and chief executive of Our Community Foundation, based at Naseby Community Centre in Alum Rock, which received £75,000, said: “Our inclusive communities funding was a game-changer.
“It didn’t just fund our activities, it helped us build the foundations for the future through our youth and community-led strategic framework that will guide us through 2025 to 2030.”
700 more jobs
The WMCA said outcomes from Games legacy funding included:
- 635,000 people taking part in thousands of hours of free arts, sports or nature-based events and activities or benefitting from better facilities where they live
- 700 jobs created
- 4,000 people gaining a new qualification or learning new job skills including sustainability, and climate literacy and advocacy courses
- 2,000 new volunteers recruited
- 2,300 tree saplings planted
- 160,000 more people now living within a 15-minute walk of an improved nature site.
“Better life chances” – WM mayor
Richard Parker, West Midlands mayor, added: “We are breaking down barriers to create real opportunities, better life chances and healthier, more sustainable communities for generations to come.”
