Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis.
Norfolk Olympic legacy fund proposed
Dan Grimmer
Thursday, February 14, 2013
6:30 AM
A £1m Olympic Legacy fund needs to be created in Norfolk to ensure the county does not lose out on the momentum generated by last summer’s successful London games, say opposition councillors at Norfolk County Council.
The fund is one of three key planks of the alternative budget which will be put forward by the Liberal Democrat group at next week’s County Hall meeting where the budget for the year ahead will be agreed.
The controlling Conservative group has already stated it intends to freeze council tax and make another £51.5m of savings, which could see up to 200 further jobs axed at the authority.
But the Conservatives also intend to spend £8m to help some of the most vulnerable people in Norfolk, inlcuding a £5m five-year project to support prevention services for older people, including training volunteers to visit the vulnerable to encourage them to use services and prevent them being isolated.
However, the Lib Dems say that, by cutting the communication budget at the council, taking some cash from the chairman’s budget, cutting member allowances and other back office cuts, they could make more money available for other projects.
Mike Brindle, leader of the Lib Dems, said: “Our budget amendment does not sacrifice any of the front-line services put forward within the administration’s budget, but it offers up additional spending on three areas and schemes.”
One is the creation of a Norfolk Olympic Legacy Fund to help community clubs and groups build on the impact of last year’s games.
Mr Brindle said: “We are disappointed that more has not been done to build on the momentum generated by the Olympics. So we would set up a fund of £1m over four years which community clubs and sports groups could bid for to help increase participation.
“We are in a great time for sport, with a football club in the Premier League, the Tour of Britain passing through Norfolk and paralympians such as Jessica-Jane Applegate.
“But we don’t believe the council did enough before London 2012 to help increase participation and we don’t want to see the county miss out on the opportunity to capitalize on the social and health benefits an Olympic legacy could have for Norfolk.”
The Lib Dems also want to triple the £1m funding the Conservatives have earmarked for school challenge and improvement. Mr Brindle said: “Norfolk is continuing to fall begind similar authorities, so we want to spend £2m extra over three years to deal with that and enable children to pick up a bit.
“We highlighted a year ago that that school performance and achievement is the most pressing issue this county faces.”
The final proposal is to create an annual fund of £500,000 for a Care with the Community scheme. Mr Brindle said: “We want to tap into the large audience of potential volunteers who are willing to give their time to a cause but cannot afford to be out of pocket in doing so.
“It would give them access to small amounts of money, such as petrol and hall hire.”
The budget will be discussed at County Hall at 10am on Monday.
Other Politics Articles
- Norfolk County Council leader outlines priorities at head of ‘rainbow alliance’
- George Nobbs new leader of Norfolk County Council
- Bid to end stalemate at Norfolk County Council
- New deal could end deadlock at Norfolk County Council
- County Hall stalemate continues as ‘rainbow coalition’ speculation mounts
- Norfolk crime commissioner defends accusations from MPs
- North Norfolk District Council elects new chairman and vice chairman
- VIDEO: MP calls on Fenland Council to take court action over derelict buildings in Wisbech
- Could Cromer’s danger crossing be improved at last?
- Delay risk revealed for Norwich’s Northern Distributor Road
- Norwich-based Archant boss warns MPs over ‘burdensome’ press regulation plans
- Photo gallery: New Lord Mayor of Norwich follows in father’s footsteps
- Fresh hope of Cromer bus station upgrade
- Norfolk County Council bosses warning over pressure on social care from ageing population
- UKIP target Great Yarmouth in general election
Most Read News Stories See all
Terror returns to Britain after man butchered in London street
Terrorism returned to the streets of London today as two suspected Muslim fanatics butchered a man in broad daylight in the name of “Allah”.
- Police launch probe after motorist tweets she knocked cyclist off bike in Norwich
- Fakenham Gateway Children’s Centre closes suddenly
- Police appeal for help to find missing Norwich woman
- Three arrests after brawl at Sikh temple in Norwich
- Picture update: Overstrand man jailed for one of largest hauls of indecent child images in Norfolk. Offences committed in North Walsham area
ADVERTISEMENT
5 comments
Sorry, forgot the context: PRE-ELECTION gimmicks...
Report this comment
Mr Cameron Isaliar
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The proliferating melee to find ever more "projects" to catch the public eye via headline writers at the EDP has become so tiresome. Money from thin air to train volunteers to visit the vulnerable to encourage them to use services and prevent them being isolated, regretably at the cost of funding those very services used by the vulnerable, e.g. the BUILD charity. Expect more gimmicks any time soon. Slightly after the horse has bolted - kevlar for supermodels anyone?
Report this comment
Mr Cameron Isaliar
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Recreational athletics such as the Norwich Parkrun and local road running clubs is in my view in a reasonably healthy state. The Saturday morning Parkrun at Eaton park in Norwich is always well supported and well managed. Roads are busy with joggers. Serious athletics however is a very different story. Look at the entries to the County championships for both summer and winter events and entries decrease year on year. The County relies heavily on volunteers who work very hard through the Norfolk AAA (the County branch of England Athletics) to stage events. They get little thanks for their hard work and they are predominently of a generation willing to help.Sadly these people are becoming increasingly scarce! Any funding that could in any way mitigate the current situation would be gratefully received I am sure, providing it reaches its correct destination.
Report this comment
SHOOK
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Both ideas are not of our concern. Paying staff to Inform those lifelong taxpayers of what they are entitled to, for them to find out that they are not getting it due to cuts, is futile. Equally to fund an olympic legacy trying to create another grant and favours body, when funding of athletes should come from a central Government fund, not the lottery or any other gambling company, does not seem to come into it. If we can only help our athletes by encouraging the public to gamble more, what does that make our councillors?
Report this comment
ingo wagenknecht
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Both ideas are not of our concern. Paying staff to Inform those lifelong taxpayers of what they are entitled to, for them to find out that they are not getting it due to cuts, is futile. Equally to fund an olympic legacy trying to create another grant and favours body, when funding of athletes should come from a central Government fund, not the lottery or any other gambling company, does not seem to come into it. If we can only help our athletes by encouraging the public to gamble more, what does that make our councillors?
Report this comment
ingo wagenknecht
Thursday, February 14, 2013