Sport England this week celebrated reaching the milestone of investing £5 billion in grassroots sport.
To celebrate the breadth of projects that have benefitted from public funding, Sport England have produced a video and some infographics, highlighting the positive impact the money has made since 1994 under the #fivebillionstories.
Since 1994:
• Almost 15,000 playing fields have been protected from development
• More than 2000 schools, colleges and universities have received funding to get more young people active
• Over 100 sports funded to get more people playing and support talented athletes to progress – from football, rugby and tennis through to ultimate frisbee, rounders and water polo
• The smallest project funded was Lockswood Bowling Club in Southampton (£300 to repair the green after flood damage).
Sport England Chief Executive Jennie Price said, “There is no doubt that £5 billion is an enormous amount of money and we’re exceptionally grateful to the people who’ve bought National Lottery tickets, and taxpayers, for making it possible for us to invest much needed funds in grassroots sport.”
"Today we particularly want to thank the people behind the projects we have funded – without their vision, drive and commitment, they would simply not have happened.
"They have made an important contribution to their communities and to sport, and should take great pride in their achievements."
Commenting on the milestone, Emma Boggis, Chief Executive of the Sport and Recreation Alliance said, "We have long said that grassroots sport and recreation is the heartbeat of the sector and to see some of the stories of how £5 billion of public money has helped grassroots clubs grow is fantastic."
"I’m not sure many people could have envisaged the National Lottery having such a major impact upon the sporting landscape when it launched in 1994. It is great to be reminded of how the money from tickets sold up and down the country every day of the week supports grassroots sport."
As part of the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s 90th anniversary celebrations, nine young people have been recognised as future sector leaders in a special Youth Edition of the organisation’s annual Community Sport and Recreation Awards.
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The Sport and Recreation Alliance celebrated its 90th anniversary at St James’s Palace, where members also gathered for the organisation’s 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM), chaired by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
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Today’s publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report sets out a series of wide ranging recommendations for reform of the national curriculum and in particular to the teaching of physical education (PE) and dance in schools.
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