Trust to extend Olympic benefits

Cultural events are part of the Olympic movement

Northern development agency Yorkshire Forward is linking up with the City of London to ensure the 2012 Olympics brings benefits throughout the UK.

The consortium, which also includes Business in the Community, has been chosen to run a new £40m trust.

Funded by lottery cash, the Legacy Trust UK will set up cultural and sporting events before the Games.

The consortium was selected from 11 bidders who responded to a call for ideas to create a vision for the trust.

The selection was made by the Millennium Commission, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Big Lottery Fund and Arts Council England.

Until 1954 the Olympic Games included competitions for culture, including literature, music and art.

TRUST'S AIMS to promote Olympic and Paralympic ideals celebrating mind, body and spirit to foster innovation and creativity to strengthen the creative and technical skills base across the UK to encourage a joined-up approach across sport, physical activity, culture and education to offer young people and diverse communities the opportunity to fully participate in the build-up and delivery of the wider vision for the Games to leave a lasting positive legacy of the 2012 Games for future generations

Nowadays, this aspiration is achieved by a programme of cultural events at and around the Games.

The creation of Legacy Trust UK is supported by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games as complementary to the 2012 Games themselves.

One of the programmes it is intended the Legacy Trust UK will fund is the UK School Games.

The first UK School Games was held in Glasgow this year and the 2007 event will be held in Coventry. Cities are currently bidding to host the UK School Games from 2007-11.

Olympics minister Tessa Jowell, said: "The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is the greatest show on earth, providing unparalleled opportunities across tourism, sport, culture and the economy.

"Whether you are six or 60, the Games will have something for you.

"The Trust will play a vital role in ensuring that everyone, wherever they live, is able to get the most out of this once in a life time opportunity."