The Inspired Facilities fund is part of the £135 million Places People Play legacy programme that is bringing the magic of a home Olympic and Paralympic Games into communities across the country. Every sports facility that receives funding will carry the London 2012 Inspire mark – celebrating the link to the Games.

Hinckley Rugby Club will receive £49,767 of National Lottery funding towards the total cost of £101,364 to renovate and refurbish the changing rooms and clubhouse area adjacent to the new pitches it acquired in 2010. This will allow the club to complete Phase 2 of its expansion plans to better support mini and junior rugby on site and to bring its new main pitch into use at the start of the season in September. The improvements include a complete refit of the changing room area from floor to ceiling, plus work on the grounds and surrounding area.

Sport England’s Chair, Richard Lewis, said: “This National Lottery investment will create a lasting sporting legacy in Hinckley. “This fund has really hit the mark with sports clubs in the Midlands. 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, John Tilley said: “We are delighted to have secured this investment, which means we can upgrade our facilities to meet the increased demand for rugby in the local area and provide an excellent extended site into the future. We will be able to provide dedicated lower age group pitches to support our burgeoning youth & senior sections. We will no longer need to use off-site pitches which will in turn support our drive to increase rugby participation in the Hinckley area and further develop our whole club ethos. Please note all new players across all teams are welcome! The facilities this funding will support are a cornerstone of our strategy to have an outstanding club for the 2012 Olympics’ legacy. We would like to thank Hinckley and Bosworth Council and the Rugby Football Union for their support in helping us achieve this funding and the local businesses and tradesman such as Dave Clarke & Son Plumbing, Bower & Wheatcroft and Simon Bond Electricians who have pledged their labour to make up the balance of funding alongside our many volunteers. There is a lot to do in a short time but we are up for the challenge.

Local MP, David Tredinnick said: “This investment by Sport England into Hinckley Rugby Club is fantastic news and is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the club’s members and committee. Hinckley has always had a strong rugby tradition but this money is an investment in young people for today and for the future; we’ll see top class rugby being played and training in top class facilities.”

Hinckley and Bosworth Councillor David Cope, Executive Member responsible for Culture and Leisure, said “We have worked closely with Hinckley Rugby Club to achieve this funding and would like to congratulate them on their deserved success. We are really looking forward to seeing the new facilities completed to take the club forward.”

The Hinckley Rugby Club project is one of hundreds of projects across England benefiting from lottery investment through the second round of the Inspired Facilities fund. And Sport England today launched a further £10 million funding round to help local community sports groups to upgrade their facilities. You can find out more at http://www.sportengland.org/inspiredfacilities. Bids will be accepted from 23 July 2012.

Places People Play is being delivered by Sport England, working partnership with the British Olympic Association (BOA) and the British Paralympic Association (BPA) with the backing of The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the London 2012 Inspire mark.

LOCOG Chair, Seb Coe, said: “This is a fantastic funding project that will deliver a real legacy from the London 2012 Games. It will provide a whole range of sporting opportunities for young people through improved facilities and will I hope inspire them to take up sport.”