Tower Hamlets residents set to benefit from grassroots sports boost

People living in property to rent in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, as well as other housing in the area, are set to benefit from a cash boost to be spent on grassroots sports.

More than £116,000 will be spent on community groups and sports clubs in the area, in a bid to boost the health and wellbeing of residents.

Freesport grants are being donated by the mayor of London to boroughs in the capital city.

Any group or sports club in Tower Hamlets can apply for their share of the money, which needs to be used to provide free coaching in activities such as swimming, football, basketball, tennis and cycling.

The aim is for residents to be provided with at least six hours of coaching as part of the scheme.

A large proportion of the funding pot will go towards targeting disadvantaged groups, who may not have previously had access to sports programmes.

Lutfur Rahman, mayor of Tower Hamlets, welcomed the additional funding for the borough.

He said: "As one of the host boroughs for the Olympics, we are working hard to get residents active and to take up a sport to lead a healthier lifestyle.

"The new grants will help us achieve this by making sports more accessible. It will make a difference to people's lives and leave a real sporting legacy long after the Games."

Recently, some of the parks in Tower Hamlets received the prestigious Green Flag Award, which recognises well-managed and high-quality green spaces in the UK.
Mile End Park, Trinity Square Gardens, Millwall Park, Island Gardens and Weavers Field all retained their Green Flag status, while Victoria Park was awarded with the accolade for the first time.

Victoria Park is currently undergoing a major refurbishment, totalling millions of pounds, to restore it to its former glory.

Posted by Ben Carter

Published 27th July, 2011

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