THOUSANDS of young people across Essex will enjoy free or discounted sport sessions after an extra £24million was ploughed into a popular scheme.

Maria Miller, secretary of state for sport, culture and media, announced the funding for Sportivate programme yesterday(wed) at an event at Basildon’s Festival Wakeboarding Park.

Since it was launched in June 2011, 8,486 14 to 25 year-olds in Essex have taken part in a total of 408 different activities.

Active Essex revealed it will use the extra National Lottery funding locally to open the scheme up to children as young as 11.

Chairman Gary Sullivan said: “Some sports are very expensive especially with all the equipment so having six wakeboarding lessons here for £30 is fantastic.

“If we get people in even younger there’s a bigger chance they will stick to a sport and we will have even more future Olympic and paralympic stars from Essex.

“We are looking to continue Sportivate for as long as possible and get even more young people involved, but we are realistic that one day there will be a general election and things might change.”

The national programme gives youngsters the chance to enjoy free or cut-price sport courses for six to eight weeks.

More than 80 percent of people who took advantage of the scheme have continued with their new sport.

There is a focus on diverse, up and coming sports including judo, tennis and parkour.

Mrs Miller watched young wakeboarders flip and spin at the lake, behind Festival Leisure Park, as well as meeting local cheerleading and archery groups.

She said: “This wakeboarding facility in Basildon is so valuable and it encourages young people who wouldn’t necessarily be involved in sport usually to try something new out.

“The extra £24million of funding means we can make sure more young people get involved and find a sport that is right for them. What has already been done in Essex is fantastic.”

The £38million Basildon Sporting Village, in Gloucester Park, and Southend Tennis and Leisure Centre, in Garon Park, both opened up ahead of the London 2012 games and provided state of the art training facilities for athletes.

Plans are also under way to keep the Olympic legacy alive by maintaining the mountain bike track at Hadleigh Farm, which was a venue for the Games.