Double Olympic swimming medallist Nick Gillingham is backing the Black Country’s bid to win £50 million of lottery funding.

Nick has pledged his support for the scheme which aims to open up an underground world of caves and canals and bring a piece of the countryside to the heart of the region.

The project, called A Million People: Black Country as an Urban Park project, is competing for the cash jackpot against three other bids from around the country.

Caverns beneath Dudley will become one of Europe’s biggest tourist attractions as part of the project which would also breathe new life into Wolverhampton’s canal network. The winner of the lottery cash will be decided by a televised vote next month.

Nick is the second high-profile celebrity to get behind the Black Country’s bid after Doctor David Bellamy spoke out in favour of it two weeks ago.

Nick, who was born and bred in Walsall, won a silver medal at the 1988 games in Seoul and a bronze medal at the 1992 games in Barcelona during an illustrious career which spanned nearly 20 years.

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Double Olympic swimming medallist Nick Gillingham is backing the Black Country’s bid to win £50 million of lottery funding.

Nick has pledged his support for the scheme which aims to open up an underground world of caves and canals and bring a piece of the countryside to the heart of the region.

The project, called A Million People: Black Country as an Urban Park project, is competing for the cash jackpot against three other bids from around the country.

Caverns beneath Dudley will become one of Europe’s biggest tourist attractions as part of the project which would also breathe new life into Wolverhampton’s canal network. The winner of the lottery cash will be decided by a televised vote next month.

Nick is the second high-profile celebrity to get behind the Black Country’s bid after Doctor David Bellamy spoke out in favour of it two weeks ago.

Nick, who was born and bred in Walsall, won a silver medal at the 1988 games in Seoul and a bronze medal at the 1992 games in Barcelona during an illustrious career which spanned nearly 20 years.

He said: “Although I now live in Northumberland, the urban park bid will transform the Black Country and enrich the lives of so many people.

“It will bring much needed green areas to within a 15-minute walk for more than three quarters of a million people.

“I’m standing up for the Black Country and urge everyone else in the region to offer their support and get behind the bid. Good luck!”

Nick, who was awarded the MBE for services to swimming, said: “As a boy who grew up and spent the first 25 years of his life in the Black Country, I was always very proud of my county. I’m still a life member of Walsall Swimming Club today.”