£76,000 leisure boost for RAF Shawbury to be funded by banking fraud fines
RAF Shawbury is to get a £76,000 boost to improve its leisure facilities thanks to fines imposed for banking fraud.
It was announced in this week's Budget that the base would bet £74,598 to improve recreation areas for service families from the Libor Charity Funding Scheme, which uses money generated from fines imposed on banks for fraudulently manipulating interest rates.
A further £2,000 will be spent on improving the base's Aries Club, which is used by the RAF's junior ranks.
The grant has been welcomed by North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson who said he was delighted that the money would be used to benefit services personnel in the county.
Under the scheme, two derelict tennis courts in the service families accommodation area will be refurbished, creating a five-a-side football pitch and multi-activity games area for youngsters.
The Aries Club will get a television, vending machine and rest area.
Gail Moore, the base's community development officer, said: “We are absolutely delighted that improvements to the junior ranks facilities and refurbishment of the tennis courts will now take place providing much-needed facilities for our service personnel and young people.
"The safety of our community is a priority and the refurbishment of the tennis courts will mean that our families and young people will have a safe and well-lit area to meet and play in, within the service families accommodation area.”
The Libor Charity Funding scheme was launched by the former chancellor George Osbourne in 2012, using fines imposed for those involved in the Libor scandal to support charities mainly involved with the armed forces and emergency services.
The Libor scandal saw banks making false declarations about the interest rates they charged to manipulate the lending market. Wednesday's Budget saw present Chancellor Philip Hammond commit the final £36 million of funding from the scheme to a total of 90 charities.
The Welsh Air Ambulance will receive £84,000 for training, while the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, near Lichfield, gets £500,000 towards the cost of a new building to stage events in.
