| The National Lottery has been a success for | | | | This influx proved to be hugely successful, |
| many years for both national heritage | | | | and was most noticeable in the performance of |
| projects and in making members of the public | | | | Team GB's cycling team. The dedication to |
| millionaires. One of the most recent success | | | | the training and attention to the smallest |
| stories of late though has been the | | | | details for performance enhancement led to a |
| performance of the British Olympic team, Team | | | | whole host of gold medals being bagged. Some |
| GB as they became known, due to the influx of | | | | say that the funding for Olympic sports is an |
| funding received for sports through the | | | | extraordinary amount of money to be provided |
| National Lottery funding scheme, UK Sport. | | | | compared to the benefits, and is |
| | | | disproportionate when considering other ways |
| The British Olympic sports team used to have | | | | the money could be used. |
| to fit training in around a normal daily life | | | | |
| of working a nine to five. This part time | | | | The defence for the expenditure lies in the |
| training is what led to Britain's reputation | | | | promotion of national pride and a sense of |
| of being gold medal flunkies. Back in the | | | | achievement. It is argued that having a |
| 1990s, the former Prime Minister John Major | | | | sports team that goes for gold and succeeds |
| introduced lottery funding to British sports | | | | develops a sense of belonging within |
| so athletes could concentrate on their | | | | communities and across the nation. This |
| talents. The Government also pledged to | | | | national pride is a unifying experience and |
| increase funding available for these so | | | | inspires younger generations to dedicate |
| called Podium Level athletes. This funding | | | | their time to sports, which in turn keeps |
| was aimed to encourage new athletic talent by | | | | them off the streets, away from drugs and |
| providing better facilities and training as | | | | alcohol and keeps them healthy too. |
| well to improve the chances of winning gold | | | | |
| medals in the Olympics. | | | | Is it really too big a price to pay to keep |
| | | | the youth of today inspired, and provide |
| The 2004 Sydney Olympics was a major | | | | facilities for them to spend time in. The |
| disappointment for the British Cycling team, | | | | funding isn't just about Olympic medals, it |
| and the British team generally. This was all | | | | is also about the wellbeing of the country's |
| about to change though in preparation for the | | | | children and how this can improve our nation |
| 2008 Beijing Olympics being held in China. | | | | as a whole. UK Sports provides facilities |
| Each Podium Level athlete received 75,000 GBP | | | | for tennis, badminton, archery and swimming |
| a year, to enable them to concentrate on | | | | to name but a few and provides coaching too. |
| training and be able to ditch the day job. | | | | This has such a beneficial affect where it |
| Of that money, 25,000 GBP goes to the athlete | | | | matters most, in the inner cities and poor |
| as a wage and the rest of the money is to pay | | | | areas. There are now facilities for the |
| for coaching, training facilities and medical | | | | children and young adults, and schemes for |
| specialists. All in all, 235 million GBP is | | | | those who would not ordinarily be able to |
| provided through UK Sport funding, for all | | | | afford to take part. There is also a goal, a |
| levels of training. The Government provide | | | | reason to work hard. So next time you buy a |
| 60 per cent of this figure and the remaining | | | | lottery ticket and hope to bag the jackpot, |
| 40 per cent comes from the funding from the | | | | remember that you are contributing to the pot |
| revenue of our scratch cards and Saturday | | | | of gold that could well change somebody's |
| night rollover ticket purchases. | | | | life. |
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