Let me get this out of the way in the first line – sport in your community needs you to do something today. It needs you to tell the Government how much you value funding for grassroots sport. It will take you around 60 seconds and you can do it at www.GetYourKitOn.team.
That’s because funding for sport is threatened and on 25 November it may lose 40% of its Exchequer funding. We know times are difficult and tough decisions have to be made but unless we act now and make our voices heard, the Chancellor may never know how much we care for our grassroots sport because of the power it has to change lives. Before reading on, please click on the link and, quickly and easily, add your voice to the #GetYourKitOn campaign.
Most of us remember how and where we first got bitten by the sporting bug. For me it was playing netball at primary school. For other people it's attending their first match, or watching it on TV. But for a great many, it will have been when they took their first steps into their local sports club, attended their first local training session, or won their first game.
Those feelings that stem from belonging to a club, team, or cause; the sense of pride and identity they foster are what make such clubs and grassroots sport so important.
Grassroots sport is also a vital means of ensuring the nation is fit, healthy and happy. It provides a means of safe and structured participation for both young and old, and creates community and economic benefits.
On 25 November, it is expected that sports funding from the Exchequer will be cut from anywhere between 25% to 40% as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. I don’t need to spell out to you what a cut of that size would do – just imagine the effect a reduction like that in your family income would have.
So, we need to act together – and do it quickly.
To make our case for sport funding, we are running the #GetYourKitOn campaign to encourage as many people as possible to speak up for the sport they love.
In a poll on grassroots sport commissioned by the Alliance, 79% of people felt that the Government should do more to support grassroots sport. It precisely this message we want to get across to George Osborne.
So we want as many people as possible, as soon as possible, to email, tweet or Facebook the Chancellor so he is left in no doubt what people feel about grassroots sport. To help spread the word, we also want people to share pictures of themselves in their sports kit with the #GetYourKitOn hashtag. This will help spread the word about the campaign and encourage more people to join in and tell George how we are part of something important in sport.
We're committed to making sure everybody has access to local sports clubs and opportunities to get active. So go on, #GetYourKitOn and show your support for grassroots sport. Here’s that link again: www.GetYourKitOn.team
The Sport and Recreation Alliance welcomes Government’s commitment to investing in community sport, recreation and physical activity, and its recognition of the social and economic value it provides.
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The National Sector Partners Group has issued a joint statement following the announcement of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review today.
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Today Sport England has announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive, Simon Hayes, who will begin the role in September.
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