Sport England has announced today that they are withdrawing £2.8 million of funding from six national governing bodies – The FA, England Golf Partnership, England Netball, England Hockey, British Mountaineering Council and British Rowing.
Andy Reed, Chair of the Sport and Recreation Alliance said:
"The past twelve months have been particularly difficult for outdoor sports. As well as the terrible weather over the winter, councils are ramping up facility hire charges to make up for shortfalls in their budgets and simple economics will tell you that that dampens demand. It doesn't make sense in the long term but local authorities are having to make some tough choices about what they can afford now.
"The danger is that by withdrawing money from governing body programmes and initiatives, we create a downward spiral of participation. The less investment governing bodies can make, the fewer people they can reach. And the fewer people they can reach, the greater the danger that participation will carry on falling.
"Governing bodies need investment to innovate – and that's exactly what they've been doing. But it's not just participation that they support. Their clubs and programmes are focal points for their communities, they introduce and develop volunteers, they build social capital and help increase educational attainment – all of which is much harder to capture than participation figures but just as important."
For media enquiries, contact Libby Jellie: 020 7976 3933020 7976 3933
Exploring how a traditional South Asian sport is building community, fostering inclusion, and shaping a more diverse and representative sporting landscape across the United Kingdom.
Read more
Each year on 12 August, International Youth Day shines a spotlight on the vital contributions young people make in building a better, more inclusive world. The 2025 theme, “Youth Advancing Multilateral Cooperation Through Technology and Partnerships”, underscores the creativity, leadership, and collaborative spirit that young people bring to addressing global challenges.
Read more
The Sport and Recreation Alliance has today published its new five-year strategy, titled ‘A United Voice for Sport and Recreation’.
Read more
Joining the Sport and Recreation Alliance is pretty simple, but worthwhile!
Register now
