GRANTS of up to £500 are being offered to communities wishing to set up a sporting event to mark the forthcoming 2012 Olympics.
Essex County Council is offering the cash to rural communities who want to set up an event in the Open Weekend of July 23 to July 25.
The Open Weekend is a nationwide event which marks the countdown to the date of the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Games.
County council cabinet member for education and the 2012 games Stephen Castle said: “By making grants available, we can offer those living in rural communities the chance to participate in sports and physical activities that they may not have tried before. These come and try sessions could potentially spark a new interest or activity that individuals may want to participate in long-term.”
To qualify, a “rural community” must be of less than 10,000 inhabitants and not physically part of a larger urban settlement The closing date to apply for funding is May 28.
Application forms are available to download from essexlegacy.org/openweekend or by calling the 2012 Legacy and Strategic Sport team on 01245 431493 .
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here