A LOTTERY grant of almost �400,000 will go towards getting more university students involved in sport, ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.

The University of Hertfordshire has been granted �359,579 from Sport England’s lottery-funded Active Universities initiative, which aims to boost student participation at all levels of sport as part of the London 2012 Olympic legacy.

It is the largest amount awarded to any of the 41 universities that had bid for a share of the �10 million pot.

Along with partners including the Royal Veterinary College, the Hertfordshire Sports Partnership and local sports organisations, the Hatfield-based uni aims to get at least 4,200 more higher education students involved in sport between September 2011 and June 2014.

University director of sport Nick Brooking said the Hertfordshire scheme was both “ambitious” and “a real challenge.”

“Our bid is a collaborative project which is ambitious,” he said. “It spans three years and involves a large number of Higher Education and Further Education students in a range of activities across a number of sites.

“With so many different locations involved and their geographic spread, as well as the diverse characteristics of the student populations, it’s going to be a real challenge to succeed.

“In general we are not blessed with a student population for whom sports participation is a normal part of their every day lives. This funding is a great opportunity to try and broaden student participation in social sport as a positive activity and as a key part of improving the student experience.”