In 2007 the Government ‘diverted’ £425 million in Lottery revenue which should have been distributed by the BIG Lottery Fund to help pay for the 2012 London Olympics. This was on top of the £213 million they had already taken from BIG to support the Games.
These raids on the Lottery were widely criticised by many charities and opposition politicians at the time. As a result it was promised that the money diverted by the 2007 decision would be refunded to the Lottery following the games, with the proceeds from selling Olympics assets.
These funds are vital for supporting good causes across the country, and we want them back.
The thing is, now we’ve got a different Government which is changing the arrangements for the Lottery. There is a real risk that the people helped by charities across the country with the aid of BIG’s funding will be the victims of another very expensive broken promise.
So the first aim of our campaign is simple: we want a statement from the Coalition Government explaining precisely how and when it will honour the commitment to refund the money taken from the BIG Lottery Fund. We want it by the end of the 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.
The ticking clock serves as reminder that we expect promises to be kept, whichever party is in charge.
Accountability for the repayment of funds is murky to say the least, so we're going straight to the top. We've written to David Cameron asking for a formal statement on precisely how and when the money will be repaid, and we'll keep asking until the money is returned.
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What they said at the time:
"It should give lottery distributors real confidence that the additional funding necessary for a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games will be re-paid - providing them and the whole country with a further 2012 dividend." Tessa Jowell, Culture Secretary, 27 June 2007
"London 2012 will bring huge financial gain to the whole country ... and it is only fair that the Lottery good causes should share in any such windfall" Tessa Jowell, Culture Secretary, 15 March 2007
"When the Olympic Park is sold, money will come back to the lottery." Lord Evans, spokesman for Culture Media and Sport, 23 May 2007
