Minister for Sport Announces Sport Strategy at Barry McGuigan Boxing Academy
Minister for sport, Tracey Crouch, visited the Barry McGuigan Boxing Academy programme to announce a new strategy recognising the power of sport and boosting participation for the wider benefits it brings to people’s lives.
Crouch has vowed the new government strategy for sport, the first for two decades, will boost participation figures in response to criticism of the Olympic legacy.
As part of the government’s new strategy, public investment into community sport is to reach children as young as five.
The move will see Sport England’s remit changed from investing in sport for those aged 14 and over to supporting people from five years old right through to pensioners, in a bid to create a more active nation.
The Premier League has also promised to double the amount it invests in grassroots football each year to more than £100m after calls for it to do more to support the wider game in light of its £8.5bn television deal.
As part of the launch Crouch met former world championship boxer McGuigan, who founded the Academy in 2009, to visit the centre and see what the programme has to offer.
Working with underrepresented groups, the Boxing Academy looks to engage more people in activities and has since delivered a range of high profile projects in many parts of the UK. The East London programme has engaged thousands of new participants in its initiatives through legacy projects as a result of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
In partnership with Waltham Forest Council, a range of initiatives including boxing for health, the Happy Hearts Primary School Programme, BoxStart programmes and a range of come and try events are delivered in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Barry McGuigan said: “We launched the first programme in Waltham Forest in 2013 and I am delighted that the programmes have flourished here - we have developed a strong, sustainable and impactful partnership. Our goal is to work with a range of partners from health, education and leisure departments to use physical activity to develop meaningful and sustainable programmes for communities and have a genuine impact on the local community.”
"We are honoured to have the minister for sport visit us and see some of our programmes in action.”
Crouch commented: “Sport has an incredible power to do social good and that is what our new strategy is all about. We will invest in sport and physical activity that shows how it can have a positive impact on people’s lives, how it brings communities together while ensuring it continues to make a significant contribution to the economy too.
“We want to give everyone the best possible experience of sport from the earliest age which is why Sport England will now support children from five years old. We also want to maintain Britain’s reputation as one of the leading nations in the world for putting on major sporting events while making sure we are the best in the world on good governance too.”
The announcement was also welcomed by Beyond Sport founder Nick Keller, who commented: “Time and time again at Beyond Sport, we see the power that sport can have to change young people’s lives.
“National governing bodies and the sporting movement have the opportunity to contribute in a very meaningful way, from helping disenfranchised youth back into employment to tackling crime, and from addressing key physical and mental health issues to creating social cohesion.
“This sea of change shows that the government understands the potential of sport and are now placing the ball firmly in the hands of the key stakeholders. After a number of years of work it is becoming evident that sport throughout the world, is playing a far more central role in the fabric of society and this precious commodity has a far greater purpose than simple entertainment.”