ATHLETICS: Taunton look to build on Olympic legacy (From Somerset County Gazette)

ATHLETICS: Taunton look to build on Olympic legacy

1:03pm Monday 23rd July 2012 in Sport

AFTER winning four gold medals at the English Schools Athletics championships, Taunton Athletics Club has received a further boost.

They have secured Olympic legacy funding to the tune of £50,000 from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Fund.

The fund is part of the £135 million Places People Play legacy programme that is looking to spread the benefits of the Olympic and Paralympic Games across the country.

Taunton AC will receive the money to fund a clubhouse alongside its track at The Castle School.

The club has some of the highest- qualified coaches in the country including Charlotte Fisher, Richard Llewellyn, Simon De Wilton and Norbert Rossiter.

Sport England’s Chair, Richard Lewis, said: “This National Lottery investment will create a lasting sporting legacy for Taunton.

“The fund has really hit the mark with sports clubs in the South-West. It shows we’re offering the legacy that people want for their local community.

“For hundreds of clubs and tens of thousands of people, 2012 will be the year their local sports facilities got better.”

Club Chairman Mike Rogers said: “We are delighted to have secured this investment, which means we can build the facility we have been striving to provide for all our members and the community as a whole.”