In this month's column Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris reflects on a successful Olympics for Team GB and the importance of sport to its constituency.

It only seems like yesterday that the London 2012 games were in full swing, and we were witnessing one of the most successful Olympics in living memory for Team GB. This time around, in Rio, our Olympic heroes are giving us a masterclass in what can be achieved with dedication, commitment and foresight.

Sport is an incredibly powerful influence over many people’s lives. Not only does it have considerable health benefits, but it is also a fantastic way of bringing together a community. Here is Halesowen & Rowley Regis you only have to visit one of the many sporting clubs we have to realise this. Whether it be cricket at Old Hill or Halesowen Cricket Clubs, cycling at the Halesowen Athletics Club, our own Halesowen Golf Club or football at The Yeltz, to just name a few, there is plenty of opportunity locally.

Another benefit, and especially in respect of the Olympics, it gives a whole new generation with each passing Games, a new hero, a new aspiration and a new sense of inspiration to achieve. The beauty of sport is that as long as you have that dedication and commitment, you can achieve great things. Locally Halesowen’s own Kristian Thomas, from Earls Gymnastics Club, has done his country, and our town proud, and his participation in the Olympics will inspire more local children that anything is possible.

Above I mentioned foresight when talking of our current Olympic success, and I did this deliberately because if it wasn’t for the National Lottery, much of what we are celebrating at the moment wouldn’t be possible. Back in the 1990’s, the then Prime Minister John Major, ensured that a proportion of the money raised through the National Lottery Fund, a sum of £900m each year, be given to sport at a grassroots level. This has proven to be invaluable to clubs up and down the country when funding classes, equipment and training for young athletes, many of which simply wouldn’t have been able to train.

We have a lot to celebrate with our sporting success, but we must not forget that the success stories we see wouldn’t be possible without the clubs we have in Halesowen and Rowley Regis, with a little help from the National Lottery.