Lisa Wainwright MBE, Sport and Recreation Alliance CEO, said: “We are very proud of the strong working relationship we have forged with DCMS colleagues and the previous Ministerial teams and we look forward to meeting with the new Minister and his team to discuss how the Alliance, and the wider sector, can help to achieve our shared goal of creating a more active nation.
“Our sector is made up of a diverse range of activities which improve people’s physical and mental health, bring together groups of people from all backgrounds, highly increase social value, and contribute to economic growth. From the elite level to the local parks, waterways and leisure centres, sport and recreation is changing lives and needs to be allowed to continue to do so.
“While the sector is still recovering from the impact of COVID-19, the cost of living and energy crisis is already impacting many of our clubs, organisations, and community groups. Though some of the measures announced in the mini-budget last week will bring some relief to our sector in the short-term as detailed in our response, much stronger fundamental change is needed to make sure our sector is sustainable for the future.
"Further, as detailed in the National Sector’s Partner Group’s report ‘Unlocking the Potential’, we strongly believe the huge potential of our sector to support the priorities laid out by government is not being maximised. These key cross-governmental priorities include levelling up, relieving the strain on the NHS, driving growth, eliminating inequalities and net zero.
“Finally, with the International Working Group on Women & Sport (IWG) beginning its 4 years tenure back in the UK with the SRA as secretariat, now is a vital opportunity for the UK to make headways in gender equity and equality within sport, physical education and physical activity.
“We look forward to working closely with the Minister on tackling the pressing issues, maximising the power of our sector, and delivering on national priorities to benefit our members and support grassroots activity across the nation.”
UK sports bodies invested a record £197.9m of broadcast revenues over the last year to grow their sport and support grassroots delivery.
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To mark the Alliance’s 90th anniversary, we are launching the Community Sport and Recreation Awards: Youth Edition 2025, which will celebrate the next generation of young leaders from across the sector.
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As 2024 concludes and as we look ahead to 2025, the Alliance has published a message to members and partners.
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