The paper reaffirms the government’s commitment to Olympic and Paralympic success but also extending that ambition to non-Olympic sports with support through grassroots investment in those sports. The strategy outlines what we expect of the sector to deliver this vision, and how we will support it in getting there.
Consultation Responses:
■ Respondents overwhelmingly welcomed the idea of a new strategy for sport and physical activity, and strongly advocated the wide range of benefits that participation in sport and physical activity can bring. These included social and community benefits, health, wellbeing and enjoyment.
■ A large number of responses focused on the importance of a quality sporting provision for children and young people. Suggestions on how to do this included designing activities which appealed to young people, were fun and easy to fit into everyday life and could be done as part of time spent with the family.
■ A number of respondents noted the importance of not being too ‘traditional’ when considering the sporting offer. Sport should be seen as an enjoyable experience, and for many people this may mean less traditional sports. The importance of outdoor recreation in getting people interested in physical activity was also recognised.
■ Funding was a common theme. Some argued that the method of allocating public funds did not achieve sufficient value for money or deliver effective results. Smaller organisations highlighted the difficulties they faced in applying for public funding. Many felt that the proportion of National Lottery funding should be rebalanced in greater favour of sport.