A step to “fix the foundations” but sport, recreation and physical activity sector left absent from the role it can play in supporting the economy and the health of the nation

The National Sector Partners Group (NSPG) has issued the following response to the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget 2024.

The Chancellor has said that this “Budget marks an end to short-term ism" with promises to “fix the NHS, rebuild Britain (and) restore economic credibility”. However, the Chancellor has missed an opportunity to provide crucial detail about the significant role sport, recreation and physical activity can play in driving a healthier and more productive and prosperous nation.

We know economic growth is intrinsically linked to the health and activity levels of the nation. The announcements made yesterday build on the vision to develop a 10-year NHS plan that shifts healthcare from hospital to community, and from treatment to prevention – two areas in which our sector can play a significant role. We will continue to work with the Government to understand how they will unlock this potential of our sector as further consultation takes place and details emerge.  

Further announcements of funding to support children and young people through investment in breakfast clubs and support for elite and grassroots sport through investment in multi-use facilities are welcomed by our sector, as a way to encourage greater daily physical activity for all generations. Integral to this is a highly skilled sport and physical activity sector workforce, and the recognition today of the role of skills development in driving economic growth is positive.

As with businesses across the country, and particularly for a sector with a large proportion of entry level positions and young employees, there is a concern about the immediate impact of rises in employer NIC and increases in minimum and national living wage, particularly when paired with the reduction in Business Rates relief and the measures outlined in the Government’s ‘Employment Rights Bill’. While the increase in the employment allowance threshold will help support smaller businesses to absorb these increased costs to an extent, we are keen to ensure that these extra costs will not need to be passed onto consumers in order to keep sports clubs and facilities open, as this could impact activity levels across the nation.

The NSPG has continually demonstrated the value of increasing levels of physical activity among the population in direct savings for the NHS, increased productivity and wellbeing benefits. Sport England’s recent social value report detailed that our sector is directly responsible for generating over £100 billion in social value and relieving pressure on the NHS through £10.5 billion a year in health and social care savings.

We recognise that the Government is still developing the detail underneath many of these announcements, and the NSPG will continue to positively engage with the Government to position sport, recreation and physical activity as a key part of the delivery of their five missions.  

We will continue to challenge our political leaders to commit to making the UK the most active nation in Europe – and in doing so generate £1bn in healthcare savings and a GDP uplift of £3.6bn a year. Now is the time to take action to make that happen, and we seek further clarification to understand just how the Government plans to work in collaboration with us and in the long-term interests of the country.  

Alliance CEO, Lisa Wainwright MBE, said:

"It was pleasing to see the Government’s commitment to the UK’s Olympic and Paralympic sports over the next four years, and the Chancellor was right to highlight the role of preventative healthcare in improving the National Health Service in her Budget. But – while I am under no illusions regarding the challenge of the task at hand – it felt like an opportunity missed. If we want to create a healthier nation, we should start by prioritising creating a more active nation. If we want to rebuild a world class health service, then sport, recreation and physical activity should be more central to Government’s plans. Through our members, the sport and recreation sector gets millions of people active and connected throughout the country, creating healthier and happier communities, and a more productive and prosperous society.

"For the Government to achieve its aims of “fixing the foundations” they must use all all-available levers to protect community sport and recreation, and make it easier for more people to participate in and reap the benefits of being physically active.

"I look forward to engaging with the Government and the sector ahead of next Spring’s Spending Review and 10 Year Plan for the Health System, to ensure that the full potential of sport, recreation and physical activity is unlocked, in order to create the growth and improve the health and connectedness of the nation that we all want to see."

About the National Sector Partners Group 

The NSPG is formed of: 

Active Partnerships  
The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)  
The Sport for Development Coalition  
The Sport and Recreation Alliance  
ukactive  
The Youth Sport Trust

Through our collaborative work as sector partners, we aim to engage decision makers to improve the operating landscape for the sector and embed sport, recreation and physical activity as a key contributor to wider public policy objectives.  

As part of wider work through the National Sector Partners Group (NSPG), in 2022 we published Unlocking the Potential which sets out how sport, recreation and physical activity can be integral to successfully delivering a number of key Government priorities including Levelling Up, driving economic growth, achieving Net Zero and supporting the NHS. The report also proposes a range of systemic interventions including access to investment, tax and regulatory changes and wider policy reform which the coalition believes are key to maximising this role.  

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