More than 100 leaders from the physical activity sector have written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for urgent funding during the coronavirus crisis.
Football Association and British Cycling chief executives Mark Bullingham and Julie Harrington are among the signatories to the letter which calls on the PM to ring fence funding or risk creating health problems for a generation.
The sector has been badly affected by closures due to the pandemic and is now seeking the establishment of a Sports Recovery Fund to help protect jobs and leisure facilities.
“Grassroots sport, fitness, and wider recreational activity is proven to improve physical, mental, and social wellbeing. This makes our sector an essential service as our nation recovers from the damage caused by Covid-19,” the letter, which has been seen by the PA news agency, states.
“Covid-19 has undermined our commercial revenue streams with both stadia and leisure facilities closed or greatly reduced in capacity. The impact of this will potentially lead to a lost generation of sport and activity.
“We are particularly concerned about the impact on those whose participation has been limited during the pandemic. Physical activity levels, especially in the most vulnerable groups, are significantly below where they were tracking pre-Covid-19. This is at a time when the government has committed to levelling up outcomes and opportunities across the country.”
The letter continued: “We know your passion for the power of sport. You have set out your belief that sport drives positive change.
“This is, no doubt, hugely influenced by your role as Mayor of London in delivering the hugely successful London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the legacy vision for sport that event created.
“By placing sport and physical activity now at the heart of our nation’s renewal and using it to drive new ambitions for health and wellbeing, we can create a strong, prosperous, resilient, and healthy nation for generations to come.”
A study by grassroots funding body Sport England and Sheffield Hallam University published earlier this month said that every £1 spent on community sports participation and physical activity generates £4 for the economy in England, and that the sector contributes £85billion to the economy annually.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here