London 2012: West Midlands community sports projects get £2m grants

Nearly £2m of Olympic legacy funding has been awarded to 39 community sports projects across the West Midlands.

Awards of £50,000 go to a swimming pool in Worcester for a new roof, a sports ground in Birmingham for an artificial grass pitch with floodlights and a football club in Warwickshire for modern changing rooms.

The grants of £1,996,563 are from Sport England's Inspired Facilities fund.

It said the money would "breathe new life" into older sports facilities.

Richard Lewis, from Sport England, said: "We've had unprecedented demand for this fund - it shows we're offering the sporting legacy that people want."

'Budget pressures'

Worcester Citizen's Swimming Pool has been awarded £50,000 to replace its existing roof.

A modern artificial grass pitch with floodlights will be built at Hutton Hall Sports Ground in Birmingham using a grant of £49,554.

Bedworth United Football Club in Warwickshire has been given £50,000 to modernise its club house, including building female and disabled changing rooms.

Councillor Chris White, from the Local Government Association, said: "In spite of budget pressures, councils are striving to keep supporting local sports clubs and want to work with them in creating a lasting and meaningful Olympic and Paralympic legacy."

The fund is part of the £135m Places People Play legacy programme, being run by Sport England, the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association and with the backing of The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (Locog).

Locog chairman Lord Coe said: "It will provide a whole range of sporting opportunities for young people through improved facilities and will I hope inspire them to take up sport."