Cambridgeshire gets Olympic legacy Sportivate funds

Lord Coe says he wants the Olympics to inspire young people to choose sport

More than 4,500 young people in Cambridgeshire are being encouraged to take up sport, as part of the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics.

A new project called Sportivate aims to give 14 to 25-year-olds between six and eight weeks of coaching in a sport of their choice.

The range of sports available includes tennis, archery, judo and parkour.

It is funded by the National Lottery and £489,593 of the £32m budget has been awarded to Cambridgeshire.

Sportivate, which forms part of the legacy promises made by organisers of the Olympics, has been launched by Sport England.

"Lots of people think sport isn't for them," said chief executive Jennie Price.

"I would like them to have the chance to discover whether there is a sport they really enjoy, so this programme is all about choice.

"Everyone who takes part will receive high-quality coaching, giving them the confidence and skills which will make them want to keep playing in the future."

As an added incentive, organisers say that young people who stick with sport after completing the coaching sessions will also have the chance to win tickets to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.