Spirit of 2012

Spirit of 2012 is an independent UK trust established in 2013 with a £47 million endowment from the National Lottery Community Fund to perpetuate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic legacy of pride, positivity, and social connectedness. Its core mission is to build happier people and places by harnessing events, volunteering, arts, and sport as pathways to wellbeing, inclusion, and community cohesion, guided by a co-produced Theory of Change emphasizing active, creative, and connected lives. As a spend-out trust set to distribute its full endowment by 2026 and close at the end of 2025, it prioritizes experimental philanthropy, rigorous evaluation (with 10% of grants for learning), and evidence-sharing to influence policy and practice on participation and inclusion.

The funder supports projects fostering social connection through arts, culture, heritage, amateur sport, recreation, education, volunteering, disability inclusion, community development, citizenship, and equality promotion. Key beneficiaries include young people, older adults, disabled individuals, disadvantaged communities, and voluntary sector organizations, with examples like youth social action via Volunteering Matters, community cohesion in Northern Ireland, mental health arts initiatives, and Paralympic-inspired access programs. It favors mass participation events, festivals, creative projects, and partnerships that deliver measurable wellbeing gains.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered organizations (charities, local authorities, consortia) operating UK-wide across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with no income thresholds but a preference for those advancing inclusion for youth and disabled people; individuals and unsolicited proposals are excluded. Grants typically range from £50,000 to £250,000 over 2-3 years for project delivery, capacity building, and revenue (no capital or core funding), awarded invite-only via competitive rounds or targeted calls—no open applications or deadlines remain, with final opportunities like the February 2025 legacy tender issued to pre-selected partners. Its hallmarks are mandatory evaluation, happiness metrics, and a sector legacy of transparent insights.