A total of £11.8 million has been distributed to projects across the West Midlands through a Commonwealth Games legacy fund.

Heart of England Community Foundation has announced it has distributed 388 grants totalling £11.8 million through its Inclusive Communities Fund, which was established to empower communities to tackle local challenges.

Inspired by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the fund supports community-based organisations, offering them access to new opportunities and legacy funding from the Games.

The figures mean that Heart of England Community Foundation has completed what would ordinarily be approximately four years’ worth of grant making in just seven months, making this fund the largest programme it has ever delivered.

The Foundation has worked diligently to meet the overwhelming demand, processing more than 1,300 applications totalling over £71 million.

The Inclusive Communities Fund is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund, which is using the underspend from the Games to ensure the positive legacy is felt right across the region and for many years to come.

Heart of England Community Foundation is the administrator of the Inclusive Communities Fund across the region.

A full list of the groups awarded funding can be found here.