Sport England has awarded £500,000 to the London Coaching Bursary scheme aimed at improving the quality of coaching and reducing the shortfall of qualified coaches.

The funding is for phase two of the programme, which will give coaches across over 20 sports the chance to improve their skills, gain valuable experience and increase employment opportunities in the sector.

The bursary will offer individuals two thirds of the cost towards their coaching qualification in the hope of encouraging coaches to advance to level 3.

The scheme is led by SkillsActive, national governing bodies of sport and SportEngland's five Pro-Active Partnerships in London.

Steve Mitchell, regional partnership manager at SkillsActive, said: "In the build up to 2012, London faces shortage of coaches - especially those qualified at levels 1 and 2. We need to make sure people have access to coaches with the right level of expertise, in accessible locations and in the right stage of their development.

"The bursary will help plug this skills gap and has already been a real boost to the capital. It has made a big impact on the confidence and skills of hundred of coaches and inspired other to get involved in this exciting and rewarding sector."

The programme is also a key Olympic legacy initiative. Seb Coe, chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: "As London enters its tenure as the host city of the next Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games, the efforts by all our partners to increase participation in sport is picking up pace.

"Our athletes in Beijing provided the inspiration but it is successful schemes like the London Coaching Bursary Scheme that ensure coaching provision for all levels of sport in the capital is increased to meet the demand and allow more Londoners to get active."

The bursary will eventually be available through the new government initiative National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure, aimed to improve training throughout England. Details: www.skillsactive.com/coachingbursary