Sport, recreation and physical activity sector calls for clear vision from Government as Spending Review signals commitment to national health and growth

The National Sector Partners Group has issued a joint statement following the announcement of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review today.

We welcome the Chancellor’s recognition in the Spending Review that there can be no growth without health and our sector is ready to play a crucial role in the nation’s renewal – maximising its contribution to Government missions on economic growth, health and opportunity for young people.

We now await the precise details around funding for sport, recreation and physical activity, and we stand ready to work with the Government to advise on where best to invest in community provision.

The economic reality facing the Chancellor is reflected in the settlement. However, we believe now is the time to invest in our sector in order to reap the major health, economic and social returns of getting more people physically active, when the need and demand for our services has never been greater. 

We welcome a number of the commitments set out in the Spending Review to invest in community sports facilities and programmes. However, it is important this forms part of a compelling Government vision to maximise the full potential of sport, recreation, and physical activity in this parliament that is developed with our organisations. 

The Government’s vision must include tangible plans to:

• Improve the health and happiness of young people through a new national plan for children's physical activity including PE, sport and play.
• Foster the growth and renewal of sustainable and energy efficient community sports facilities by prioritising them in planning and infrastructure decisions, while supporting new streams of investment.
• Drive agile skills and workforce policies to harness the potential the sector has to address economic inactivity, especially in young people.
• Fully integrate our sector with the NHS to support people with long-term health conditions, including musculoskeletal conditions, cancer, cardiorespiratory diseases and obesity, as well as mental health issues.
• Recognise the role that sport can play in delivering a range of social outcomes across the Government stated missions, engaging with underserved communities to create opportunities for people to be physically active in ways that work for them.

Sport, recreation, and physical activity can serve as a powerful engine for sustained economic growth by improving the nation’s health, fostering innovation, generating employment, attracting investment and improving wellbeing across all ages. 

This is a golden opportunity for the Government to recognise public demand and the sector’s potential, and work with us to build a healthier, happier, stronger Britain.

Lisa Wainwright MBE, CEO of the Sport and Recreation Alliance said: "We understand the Chancellor faced a difficult task in delivering the Spending Review in view of the broader fiscal constraints. While the details will become clearer in the coming days and weeks, we believe the announcement nonetheless provides the platform to develop an ambitious and joined-up plan for leveraging the enormous potential of the sport, recreation and physical activity sector to deliver on Government’s missions.

"It is of course welcome that the Chancellor has committed to creating a heathier nation, reflected in increased spending on the NHS. We feel that through our members, sport, recreation and physical activity has a significant role to play in preventing ill-health and tackling inequalities to create a healthier, happier nation.

"Equally, the sector can continue to make significant contributions to supporting economic growth and we welcome the funding commitment to host a number of major sporting events in the coming years.

We also welcome the commitment to invest in improved sports infrastructure and access for children and young people - something we called for in our recent letter to the Prime Minister. We will engage constructively with Government to maximise the impact of this investment, utilising our members’ expertise in doing so and expanding opportunity, while leveraging some of the other initiatives presented as part of the Spending Review, such as local growth funding and use of the Dormant Asset Scheme.

The Spending Review will of course have long-term implications for the wider the sector and the Alliance will continue to work closely with our members, partners and Government as more details become available."

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