The National Sector Partners Group (NSPG), representing key organisations in the sport, recreation, and physical activity sector, has written to the Prime Minister ahead of the Chancellor’s Spending Review, unveiled on 11 June. The group has urged the government to prioritise investment in physical activity, warning that failure to do so could lead to the decline or closure of facilities and clubs, lower levels of physical activity, worsening physical and mental health, increased health inequalities, and reduced productivity. These outcomes, the NSPG warns, would result in significant additional costs to both the Treasury and the NHS.
The NSPG’s letter highlights the sector’s substantial contribution to the UK, generating more than £107 billion in annual social and economic value through improvements to wellbeing and direct health and social care savings. The sector also contributes almost £100 billion annually in direct economic output. Despite these figures, the group notes that the UK currently ranks 11th out of 15 comparable European nations for physical activity levels. Matching the best-performing countries could deliver an extra £1 billion in healthcare savings, a £3.5 billion boost to GDP, and over £70 billion in annual wellbeing benefits.
The letter calls for government investment in high-quality, sustainable, and affordable community facilities, as well as the protection and enhancement of green and blue spaces. It also stresses the importance of supporting school sport, with a particular focus on inclusion and reaching those facing the greatest barriers to participation.
Additionally, the NSPG urges the government to develop an ambitious national strategy that coordinates spending across departments and focuses on prevention. Such a strategy, they argue, would maximise the role of sport, recreation, and physical activity in improving health, fostering economic growth, enhancing community cohesion, reducing crime, and creating opportunities for all.
Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, emphasised the urgency of the situation: “It is now essential for the government to back our sector properly in the upcoming Spending Review if it is serious about exploring long-term investment opportunities for facilities and a comprehensive strategy for increasing participation”.
The NSPG comprises the Active Partnerships Network, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), the Sport for Development Coalition, the Sport and Recreation Alliance, ukactive, and the Youth Sport Trust. Through their joint efforts, they aim to engage decision makers and embed sport, recreation, and physical activity as key contributors to wider public policy objectives, ultimately striving to make the UK the most active nation in Europe.
