On 24 January, 37 local community groups providing sports opportunities in Brent celebrated the official launch of the Wembley National Stadium Trust with the receipt of grants worth over £300,000.
At an event hosted by Wembley Stadium, leaders from 37 local groups were joined by the Mayor of Brent, Cllr Michael Adeyeye, together with local sports stars, Olympic gold medallist James DeGale MBE and Premiership footballer Jason Roberts MBE, to mark the launch of the Wembley National Stadium Trust.
The Trust, funded by a donation of 1% of the Stadium’s annual turnover, will be making around £1m available to good causes each year, one-third of which will be for the benefit of groups providing community sports activities for people in LB Brent. This first round of grants has supported a diverse range of groups and activities, including football, cricket, boxing, tennis, table tennis and swimming.
The Trust recognises the value of sports participation in improving the quality of life for people of all ages – not just in physical health, but also in mental well-being, reducing social isolation, teaching respect and responsibility.
Roger Maslin, Managing Director of Wembley National Stadium Limited said: “We understand the importance of Wembley Stadium and the role it plays in the local community. Through the funds that the Stadium will provide on an annual basis we can help develop sporting and community initiatives, which have a positive effect on the lives of individuals, young and old, male and female. We’re also delighted that there is a long-term commitment ensuring that the people of Brent, the home of Wembley Stadium, will benefit from the revenue generated by the Stadium.”
Lord Toby Harris, Chairman of the Wembley National Stadium Trust said: “We are delighted to have been able to assist so many groups, providing such valuable services for local people. We were greatly impressed by the quality of local sports organisations and the dedication of the many staff and volunteers who help to run these activities. We look forward to seeing the groups thrive in the future.”
A full list of the grants awarded is available at
https://wnst.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Grants-Approved-in-January-2013.pdf