MP for Vauxhall and former sports minister, Kate Hoey, is to launch the new Academy of Sport, Physical Activity and Wellbeing at London South Bank University (LSBU) today.

The academy has been designed to offer a combination of academic and non academic sports divisions including taught course areas, research units, sports science support services, sports development and facility staff, officers from national governing bodies of sport and a lottery-funded community sports development programme.

A new scheme will also be unveiled at LSBU tomorrow aimed at helping athletes in Southwark and Lambeth reach their full potential by reducing the financial burden of training costs and letting them use their local facility free of charge.

The Free Access to National Sportspeople (FANS) scheme has been jointly set up by London South Bank University, Southwark and Lambeth borough councils and leisure service providers, Leisure Connection and Fusion.

London Active Partnership, which is hosted by the academy, will also be presented with a cheque for almost £6m by Sport England to deliver the Active Sports programme across 10 sports in London and a further £936,000 for the co-ordination of the first stage of the DCMS Community Sport Coach Scheme.

The coach scheme will see 29 coaches deployed across 24 employing organisations across London – including sport colleges, London borough sports development units, national governing bodies, clubs and community schemes.

Joanna Robinson, regional director of Sport England, said: “Sport England sees London South Bank University as a key partner in delivering increased participation in sport and physical activity across the capital.

“The London Plan for Sport particularly identifies Higher Education institutions as being critical in contributing to a range of agendas including participation, research, performance and community development; and the hub centre being developed at LSBU will make a vital contribution to helping Londoners to start, stay and succeed in sport.”