Call to prioritise physical activity and to invest in facilities

The National Sector Partners Group (NSPG) has written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, ahead of this month’s Spending Review to urge the government to back the sector through a “sustained plan for investment”.

The letter states that a failure to prioritise the sector in the review would see “more facilities and clubs close or decline, a reduction in physical activity levels, greater health inequalities and lower productivity”. The UK’s physical activity levels rank a lowly 11th in Europe among comparable nations and the most recent participation data from Sport England shows significant inequalities remain across different demographic groups and communities.

Despite this, research suggests that the sector generates social and economic value worth more than £107bn annually, through improvements to wellbeing and direct health and social care savings. It also contributes almost £100bn annually in direct economic output – equivalent to 2.5% of total output.

In the letter, the NSPG urges the PM to “Enhance the nation’s sport, recreation and physical activity infrastructure through sustained investment in high quality, sustainable and affordable community facilities and in our precious green and blue spaces.”

It also calls for a new national strategy which would “join up spending across Government and focus on prevention”.