Legacy Trust UK has approved the first activities and events designed to build a cultural and sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympics.

The funding trust, launched last November by the DCMS, has awarded a total of £13.4m to a range of projects across the UK.

Projects which have been selected will be managed by partnerships of arts and sports organisations in regions across England, as well as in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Legacy Trust awarded the highest grant of £2.89m to the Big Dance project in London, which aims to inspire communities to get involved in new experiences to promote fitness ahead of the Olympics, and hopes to attract 1.8 million people to take part.

A Great Exhibition for 1.25 million people in the East Midlands, held over four months in 2012, was awarded £1.61m, while the same amount was given to a range of activities in the South West including a festival of alternative sports such as surfing and free-running.

The South East received £1.92m to celebrate its heritage as the birthplace of the Paralympic movement, £1.51m will go to the East of England's attempts to boost volunteering in culture and sport, while the West Midlands will get £2.2m for up to 500 'community games' inspired by the Olympics.

Four projects in Wales will benefit from the remaining grant of £1.67m, including a touring exhibition documenting the history of Welsh Olympians. Projects in remaining five regions, including Scotland and Northern Ireland, will find out their funding over the next few months.

Legacy Trust UK is also funding a series of national events, including the UK School Games, as well as other programmes which are yet to be announced.

Dugald Mackie, chair of the trust, said: "The Olympics are about more than sport. As the handover ceremony showed, the Games will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to showcase Britain and to inspire generations of young people.

"The projects we are funding will encourage people to take part in cultural and sporting events, and will help leave a lasting legacy from the 2012 Olympics."