UK launches sports consultation amid London 2012 legacy concerns
UK Sports Minister Tracey Crouch has launched a wide-ranging public consultation on sport in the UK amid growing concerns that the country is falling short on the legacy commitments of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
A study from Sport England has revealed almost 250,000 people ceasing to take part in regular physical activity over the past six months and Crouch last month criticised the UK’s sports strategy as being “severely outdated”, pledging to “rip up that strategy and start again”.
In a government statement, Crouch said: “Sport has such a positive impact on people's lives and I want to embed participation into this nation's DNA. I want to make sure that the sports sector gives everybody - no matter who they are and what their ability - the chance to take part. However, public funding is a privilege not a right and has to go to the organisations that can make a real difference.”
UK broadcaster the BBC said the government is ready to reform the manner in which sport in the UK is funded, diverting money away from national governing bodies and towards sports charities such as Sported, StreetGames, Parkrun, Access Sport, Street League and Greenhouse.
In 2014, Sport England cut its investment into the England Basketball governing body in favour of funding community organisations such as Reach & Teach and the British Basketball League Foundation.
Sports participation among those on the lowest income bands is at its lowest point since records began in 2005-06, according to Sport England. Overall, 1.4 million more people are participating than when the bid to stage London 2012 was won in 2005.
Labour’s Shadow Sports Minister Clive Efford believes the Conservative government’s action in launching the nine-week consultation is insufficient.
Efford said: “The government's consultation is five years too late and can't hide the fact that with a year to Rio, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic legacy is crumbling because the government's sports strategy under David Cameron has been an abject failure; he's wasted a once in a generation opportunity to inspire people to get active and play sport.”
The previous coalition government abolished £162m (€228m/$251m) of ring-fenced funding for the national School Sport Partnerships, although a school sport premium of £150m was subsequently reinstated. The London 2012 Olympic Games were staged at a cost of £9.3bn.