Helping grassroots sport and physical activity recover from the effects of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and investing in tackling the challenges of the next decade are the cornerstones of Sport England’s new 10-year strategy.
Uniting the Movement runs through to 2031 but is most immediately focused on helping the people and organisations delivering grassroots sport and physical activity to cope with the pressure of the pandemic.
Sport England is also making £50 million available to support this network in 2021 – this is in addition to the £220m of National Lottery and Exchequer funding it has already invested in responding to the pandemic since last March. Which, in turn, is just part of £600m the National Lottery has, thanks to its players, made available to support communities across the UK.
More work will be done in the coming weeks and months to understand where to best target this additional funding to ensure as many clubs, organisations and people who help keep the nation active are helped – with a particular emphasis on supporting children and young people to get back involved in sport and activities with confidence.
Following extensive consultation with the sport and physical activity sector, Uniting the Movement identifies the longer-term challenges of the decade ahead – issues that were still important before Covid-19 struck, but are now crucial.
As its heart, the strategy seeks to tackle long-standing inequalities that have existed within our sector and been reinforced by the disruption of the pandemic.
As a result, Uniting the Movement demonstrates our focus on providing more opportunities for those who are being left behind.
"This strategy comes at a critical time,” said Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of Sport England. “Alongside the National Lottery and government, we have made significant funding available, but many organisations are struggling, and activity levels have taken a significant hit.
“But amid all that challenge and uncertainty, we believe there are also enormous opportunities to fast-track the role sport and physical activity plays in helping people to live happier, healthier lives.
"With a short-term focus on helping sport to recover from the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, this strategy identifies the other major issues that for the next decade will be a priority. At the heart of all this is a ruthless focus on providing opportunities to people and communities that have traditionally been left behind, and helping to remove the barriers that stop them from playing sport and being active."
Full details of the strategy can be found here.
