Charities have demanded that over £400 million diverted from supporting needy communities in the UK to help fund the London 2012 Olympics be returned.
The money has been taken from the Big Lottery Fund, which makes small grants to local charities and the resulting shortfall has raised questions about the Games’ legacy.
As the 2016 Rio Olympics gets underway, there are renewed demands for London’s new mayor and Britain’s new prime minister to ensure the huge chunk of cash is paid back, the UK-based Guardian daily reported Saturday.
Although London’s last mayor, Boris Johnson, stated that a key legacy aim of the 2012 Games was the “convergence in life chances and prosperity between east and west London, and to bring the city and its communities together,” UK charities insist his failure to return the lottery cash has undermined the proclaimed commitment.
“The government failed to honor its promise to Britain’s communities, which have…