Photo Credit: England and Wales Cricket Board
More than 50 leaders from the sport and physical activity sector have come together to sign a New Year’s resolution to ensure sport and physical activity is at the heart of the nation’s recovery from Covid-19 in 2021.
Our resolution for a sporting new year
As we approach the end of a difficult year, we have come together to make a collective New Year’s resolution to the nation for 2021.
Firstly, we would like to thank everyone in the sporting and activity world; colleagues, participants, members and especially all those who volunteer, for everything you have done to support efforts to enable as much sporting activity as possible to take place safely in these difficult times. We would also like to thank the Government for their support to date in getting elite and community sport back being played. We ask for the Government to do the same for community sport and activity in the higher tiers of restrictions to ensure people can get back to participating in what they love as soon as possible.
Across the world of sport and physical activity there has been outstanding work from clubs, facility operators and many other organisations to not only keep the nation active where possible but also in the support given to your local communities. We pay tribute to each and every one of you for the efforts you have made to support the national effort against Coronavirus whether that is providing venues for testing facilities, raising money for those who need it most, and helping everyone to enjoy the incredible physical, mental and social benefits of being more active.
As a sector too, we want to thank our wonderful NHS and key workers for everything they have done for our families and our communities this year.
We all share an absolute focus for sport and physical activity to be at the heart of our nation’s post-Covid renewal in 2021 and beyond, helping everyone to get fitter and healthier.
This means making plans for supporters to return to full stadia and people to return to their grassroots facilities as soon as possible, creating the income needed to reinvest into these communities. Alongside this, the sector requires tailored financial and regulatory support to rebuild and revitalise our nation’s health.
It also means redoubling efforts to increase sporting participation. This will take time as we emerge from restrictions, but it is vital that we do this for the sake of the nation’s health and wellbeing, and particularly for those whose participation has been most impacted by the pandemic, including children and young people.
Grassroots sport, fitness, and wider recreational activity is proven to support physical, mental, and social wellbeing. This makes our sector essential to the nation’s recovery from the damage caused by the pandemic.
All of us possess a determination to rebuild this year and believe that as the nation emerges from Covid, there is a golden opportunity for sport and physical activity to build back better. Our specific aim is to see activity and levels of participation return to their pre-Covid levels by 2022.
This is a big challenge, and one that will need the sustained support of Government, but it is important we set our ambitions high and work together to achieve it.
If Britain is to recover from the impact of Covid, we need to harness the power of sport and activity to deliver physical and mental health benefits to everyone who participates.
Our new year’s resolution is to deliver just that.
Signed by the leaders of the following sport and physical activity sector organisations:
England and Wales Cricket Board
Football Association
Lawn Tennis Association
Rugby Football League
Rugby Football Union
1Life
Active Humber
Badminton England
BaseballSoftballUK
British Aikido
British American Football
British Canoeing
British Dodgeball
British Dragon Boat Racing Association
British Equestrian
British Fencing
British Gymnastics
British Ice Skating
British Martial Arts & Boxing Association
British Rowing
British Shooting
British Showjumping
British Triathlon / Triathlon England
British Wheelchair Basketball
British Wrestling
Chance to Shine
Dallaglio RugbyWorks
EMD UK
England Athletics
England Golf
England Hockey
England Netball
England Squash
England Touch
English Ice Hockey Association
English Indoor Bowling Association
Fusion Lifestyle
GB Wheelchair Rugby
Ice Hockey UK
Karate Union of Great Britain
Laban Guild for Movement and Dance
LED Leisure Management Ltd
Mosaic Spa and Health Clubs
Mytime Active
Parkwood Leisure
Pentathlon GB
Skateboard GB
Swim England
Table Tennis England
The Croquet Association
UK Athletics
UK Ultimate
Volleyball England
You Fit Health Clubs
Notes for editors
This New Year’s resolution is part of the #SaveOurSports campaign which commenced in September 2020 with a letter to the Prime Minister which requests that Government:
- Creates a Sports Recovery Fund to invest into community sport and physical activity
- Extends the VAT reduction that has been applied to the culture and hospitality sectors to the sport and physical activity sector
- Protects access to sport and physical activity during any local lockdowns
This work is being led by industry bodies Sport and Recreation Alliance and ukactive on behalf of their members who deliver sport and physical activity clubs, facilities and services to the British public.
The sport and physical activity sector in the UK:
- -Employs 585,000 people, who provide £30bn gross value added to the UK economy
- -Contributes £16bn to the economy annually
- -Every £1 spent on community sport and activity in England generates a £4 return
- -Grassroots sport and activity delivers a social value of £72bn in England annually
- -Indoor community sport and physical activity and most outdoor community sport is forbidden under the current tier 4 restrictions, affecting a third of England’s population
- -Data from July to October 2020 across 55 million gym and leisure centre visits shows a Covid-19 transmission rate of just 1.41 cases per 100,000 visits
About ukactive
ukactive is the UK’s leading not-for-profit health body for the physical activity sector, with more than 4,000 members – from gyms, leisure centres, sports bodies and other activity providers, to major consumer brands and equipment manufacturers. Members come from across the private, public and third sector and are united by ukactive’s longstanding and uncompromising commitment to getting more people more active, more often. ukactive facilitates high-impact partnerships, conceives and drives breakthrough campaigns, conducts critical research and galvanises key stakeholders to develop and deliver projects that support and champion the physical activity agenda. For more information, please contact Simon Woodsford on 020 8158 9723 or simonwoodsford@ukactive.org.uk
About the Sport and Recreation Alliance
The Sport and Recreation Alliance believes that the power of sport and recreation can change lives and bring communities together. Together with over 300 members and in partnership with the wider sector, we make the most of opportunities and tackle the areas that provide a challenge.
We deliver advice, support and guidance to our members and the sector, who represent traditional governing bodies of games and sport, active partnerships, outdoor recreation, water pursuits, and movement and dance exercise.
As the voice of the sector, we work with Government, policy makers and the media to make sure grassroots sport and recreation grows and thrives. Having an active nation is important as it delivers huge benefits to society and the millions of participants, volunteers, staff and spectators.
For more information about Sport and Recreation Alliance, please contact Alex Sexton on 02079763918 or asexton@sportandrecreation.org.uk
