Commenting on the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) coming into effect, Emma Boggis, CEO of the Sport and Recreation Alliance said: “The sugar tax promises to benefit children and young people across the nation and it’s important that the narrative today isn’t just about nutrition but also about how sport and recreation can contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic our country is facing. Government has made promises to use funds raised from the sugar tax to help children and young people lead an active and healthy lifestyle by investing in school sport and physical activity. The importance now is that these promises are kept, and any revenue is protected so that as many children as possible can be active in their schools.
“Government must make sure that the deliverers of school sport and physical activity have the support and guidance they need to be able to use the investment from the sugar tax in the most effective way.
“Providing young people with a positive environment in sport and recreation can contribute to encouraging them to lead an active lifestyle on a more regular basis and we want government to extend its commitment from the levy – irrespective of the total raised – to cover the lifetime of parliament to 2022.”
New research shows playing fields and pitches deliver at least £2bn in improved wellbeing every year and help keep almost 4 million people active, including 1 million children.
Read moreBelow we provide an update on a number of our current policy-related workstreams, from the announcement of the NHS 10 Year Plan, to a number of additional issues - including planning reforms, the EHRC consultation on gender, Select and APPG inquiries into Healthy Ageing, and Access to Nature.
Read moreThe 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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