Last month ukactive’s National Sector Partners Group (NSPG) welcomed the National Audit Office’s (NAO) report on grassroots participation in sport and physical activity. The value for money report outlined how grassroots community sport have progressed since 2012.
The report notes the increased participation since 2012 in grassroots sport. The conclusion was that leadership and collaboration at the government level needed to improve. In order to drive activity levels up, there must be consistency across government. Following the NSPGs Unlocking Potential Report, outlining the impact the wider contribution of the sector could have, NAOs report evidences the need to maximise the impact of these policy objectives.
Unsurprisingly, the report highlights the impact that COVID-19 had on participation levels. It went on to note that particular groups, including women, ethnic groups and disabled people, were the most at risk from low activity levels.
The report includes recommendations for the government and Sport England on how to improve participation. The recommendations stress that sport and physical activity need a more hands-on approach if it is to support wider policy goals.
To find out more about these recommendations, see here.
