London Marathon Foundation reaches £100mn funding landmark
Melanie May | 18 April 2023 | News
The London Marathon Foundation has awarded £100 million in funding to more than 1,600 projects since it was founded in 1981.
Created just before the first London Marathon, by the event’s co-founders Chris Brasher and John Disley, the London Marathon Foundation was previously known as the London Marathon Charitable Trust, rebranding earlier this year. The foundation currently focuses on funding projects that help children, young people, marginalised groups and communities lead active and healthy lives.
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The £100 million of funding since 1981 includes the following:
- 51 playing fields across the UK protected from development in perpetuity
- £7 million towards London 2012 Olympic legacy projects, including funding the London
- Marathon Community Track in The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
- Founding the Go! London Fund in partnership with the Mayor of London and Sport England, which launched in March 2023
- More than £4 million to play projects, including the 2018 refurbishment of the Greenwich
- Park Playground, near the TCS London Marathon’s Start Line
- Funding the innovation of the Poolpod, which provides disabled people with safe and dignified access to swimming pools, and installation in 20 pools across the UK
- Funding projects across communities in all 32 London Boroughs and the City of London
- Supporting more than 20 large-scale projects across the UK, including £1 million partnerships with Transport for Greater Manchester, the Alliance of Sport, and Activity Alliance
The London Marathon Foundation is the sole shareholder and parent charity of London Marathon Events (LME), the organisers of the TCS London Marathon, Ford RideLondon, The Big Half, the Vitality Westminster Mile and Vitality London 10,000, the Standard Chartered Great City Race and Swim Serpentine. Each year, after costs, the surplus made by LME goes to the foundation through corporate Gift Aid.
Catherine Anderson, Executive Director of the London Marathon Foundation, said:
“Our founders Chris Brasher and John Disley were renowned for their visionary thinking and determination to inspire more people to get active. Everyone at the London Marathon Foundation and London Marathon Events is incredibly proud of this landmark moment. The £100 million funding has reached millions of people in London and across the UK who’ve been able to take part in sports and physical activities through projects we’ve supported. Over the past four decades, we’ve helped people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds – from family afternoons in a playground to dance classes for people with Parkinson’s Disease – lead active and healthy lives.
“We’re excited about the future and directing our funding to where it’s most needed by supporting impactful, innovative projects that will make physical activity accessible to everyone.”
Earlier this month, the Foundation announced more than £2.4 million had been awarded to 81 projects through its new Active Spaces Fund. This funding supports a range of projects and activities across London, from ‘plogging’ (combining jogging and litter picking) to playground improvements, and took the total amount awarded since 1981 over the £100 million mark. Charities can apply for funding of up to £20,000 at any time, while applications for funding over this amount must meet deadlines given – the next of which is 7 July. More information on how to apply here.
The 2023 TCS London Marathon, the 43rd edition, takes place this weekend, on Sunday 23 April.
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.