Sports funding protected in Spending Review

Despite widespread cuts to government spending, the funding for UK Sport has increased by 29%, while the Sport England Grant-in-Aid budget will increase and its 2017-21 budget will be at a very similar level to 2013-17. The budget for the UK Anti-Doping Agency will remain the same and funding for the Sports Ground Safety Authority will go up.

The Chancellor also announced that the Department for Culture Media and Sport’s administrative budget will fall by 20%, and that public health spending will be cut by just under 4% per year.

The funding settlement follows the #GetYourKitOn campaign the Sport and Recreation Alliance has been running to protect grassroots sports and recreation. The campaign reached 15 million twitter timelines and resulted in nearly 1,500 direct emails being sent to the Treasury asking for grassroots funding to be protected.

Emma Boggis, Chief Executive of the Alliance said: "After campaignig hard with our members to persuade the government of the vital importance of sport and recreation, we’re delighted that Government has recognised this with sustained investment in sport and recreation at all levels from the podium to the grassroots.

The Alliance also welcomes the increase to UK Sport funding. Our elite athletes have an incredible record of success. That success is good for the country in lots of ways - not least increasing national pride, creating role models and generating economic benefit through the continued delivery of major events in the UK.”

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