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ESSEX County Council has been awarded Beacon status for its outstanding work in using the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to encourage communities to be more active.

The council on Tuesday March 4 walked away with a share of £3m government funding to expand its work and help other councils achieve the same success.

The Beacon awards recognise local government’s excellence and innovation in improving quality of life for their residents and communities.

Sadiq Khan, Communities Minister, said: "My congratulations go out to Essex County Council. The Beacons are about showcasing the very best in service delivery and in this, their final year, we really have seen some exceptional examples of using the Olympic Games and Paralympics legacy to encourage communities to be more active.

“Essex County Council is among the top performers in its field, setting the standard for innovation, service excellence and improvement. With the added emphasis on economic recovery in this year’s Beacons, winners are ideally placed to share their knowledge and skills to improve the sector as a whole.”

Marianne Hood, chairman of the Beacons Panel, added: “Being awarded Beacon status means that Essex County Council will receive recognition, from national government and other authorities, for its expertise in this area.

“I will be following the work the Beacon authorities carry out closely and wish them the very best of luck in their new role sharing knowledge and supporting improvement.”

Cllr Stephen Castle, Essex County Council’s cabinet member for the 2012 Games, said: “Essex has been a strong supporter of the London 2012 Games from the very early stages of the London bid.

“I am delighted the council’s work on the Olympic Games and Paralympics legacy across not just sport but culture, education, skills and business support has been recognised at a national level and I am looking forward to sharing our experience with other councils.”

Essex County Council and the other Beacon councils for this theme will now work together, with the support of the Improvement and Development Agency, using a range of learning activities to help improve standards in all authorities in this area.

The ‘Olympic Games and Paralympics legacy’ theme Beacons are already increasing participation in sports, volunteering and cultural activity, regenerating communities, and improving local skills and business capacity ahead of 2012, and planning to continue this work afterwards. Part of the Government’s promise on winning the Olympic bid was that the legacy of The Games would be continued across the UK in the future.

The Beacon Scheme is funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), and the programme is managed at the Improvement and Development Agency for local government. This year, the independent Beacon panel received 125 applications (involving 159 authorities), and using an extensive judging process, they whittled this number down to a shortlist of 62.