Schwarzenegger, the former Mr Universe and 38th Governor of California, met Boris Johnson for a private meeting as the Mayor announced a further £2 million of funding for community sports projects around the capital.

During his term as Governor, Schwarzenegger consistently worked to promote fitness as he was appointed chair of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and he has used this experience to urge the Mayor to make the most of the Olympic London 2012 by continuing to boost enthusiasm and participation in physical activity.

The Mayor's Sports Participation Fund is aimed at helping community projects that aim to increase participation in sport or use sport to tackle social issues.

The second round for the fund, which last year provided £2.3 million for 18 projects across London, has begun with winning projects to be awarded between £50,000 and £250,000.

Johnson said: "We can't all be Mr Universe, but we can all be a bit more active.

"Sport has a remarkable ability to bring together the great hotchpotch of people who live in the city in a fantastically positive way.

"We are fast approaching the home straight of putting on what will be the greatest show on earth with the 2012 Games.

"I am determined that all Londoners will be able to enjoy the benefits of hosting and I urge community groups who through sport, want to help bring real and lasting change and address genuine local needs, to apply for our fund."


Kate Hoey, the Mayor's Commissioner for Sport said: "For me, the most important thing about the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is that, once they are over, Londoners can look each other in the eye and say that, yes, they have seen a real, tangible benefit to their communities.

"This fund has an important role to play in ensuring that this is the case.

"In the first round of the fund, we supported 18 projects that between them cover almost every part of the capital and promise to bring new sporting opportunity to thousands of Londoners.

"I am genuinely excited by the prospect of seeing what comes out of this second round."

The sports participation fund is part of the Mayor's £15.5 million Sport Legacy Fund as one of the Mayor's key election promises was to ensure that the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games delivered a genuine grass-roots sporting legacy of increased participation in sport and physical activity amongst Londoners.

Last year, the Fight for Peace initiative received £150,000 funding for a project that used boxing as a gateway to provide employability support and education to disengaged young people as a practical diversion to crime and antisocial behaviour.

Luke Dowdney, Director of Fight for Peace, said: "Our work has demonstrated sport is a great unifier and a platform to develop the potential of young people in disadvantaged circumstances."

For the first time, the fund has joined forces with the Mayor's Team London Volunteering Programme which was launched earlier this month.

A Sporting Chance will fund up to two projects with grants from £100,000-£250,000 that use volunteers in an imaginative and innovative way to deliver structured sports-based activities which can be an effective diversionary activity for young people at risk of antisocial and criminal behaviour.

Applications to this fund can be made until midday on May 6 2011 by clicking here. 

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