The eyes of the world were on the West Midlands for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
A global audience of more than a billion received a warm West Midlands welcome as the region became home to more than 5,000 athletes across 20 sports between 28 July and 8 August 2022.
The effective organisation and delivery of the 2022 Commonwealth Games meant the event came on time and under budget.
The UK Government invested the remaining £70 million into the region to enhance the legacy and ensure the benefits continue their positive impact for many years to come. The UK Government required the CWGLEF to be spent by 31 March 2025.
The Fund was divided into four pillars of activity, based on the legacy programmes from the Commonwealth Games. They were:
Economy, trade and tourism
Culture and heritage
Inclusive communities
Wellbeing and sustainability
Please find below a video that encapsulates how the £70 million CWGLEF was used and visit the pillar pages linked above for more information about each pillar.
The Funding was spent across the region through a combination of open grants, grants aligned to existing funding and direct funding awards to local authorities and regional partners.
The overarching aim was to ensure that we made the most of Legacy Funding for the region, building on the positive impacts of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
We wanted to ensure a meaningful legacy that contributes to a fairer, prosperous, greener and more inclusive West Midlands for everyone.
The West Midlands Combined Authority commissioned an evaluation of the CWGLEF, which is available here:
Video credits:
Allens Cross Community Association; Andre Moore; Andrew Moore ; Andrew Moore; ArtShack; Birmingham Botanical Gardens; Buglife; Colebridge Young People’s Club; Colebridge Young People’s Club; Coventry City Council; David Easen - Mease Valley Photography; Dudley Council and RTVision; Enterprise Nation and BEC ; Father Hudson's Society; Growth Path Services; Images provided by Spectra; Jana Buxbaumova, C&W Business Solutions; Kate Hollingsworth Photography; LEAF; Romy Whai; Sandwell Leisure Trust; Sandwell Visually Impaired CIO - Dartmouth Park; Severn Rivers Trust; Simon Hadley; Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council; Stratford-upon-Avon College; Tom Dulat/Getty Images; United By 2022 Charity ; Walsall Council; WMCA