Spring Statement: Sport, recreation and physical activity sector urges Government to protect investment to boost health and growth

The National Sector Partners Group* (NSPG) has issued the following statement in response to the Chancellor’s Spring Statement today (26 March).

Today’s Spring Statement from Rachel Reeves has highlighted the challenges facing the UK economy. The implications of this statement will be felt across the majority of government departments, with reduced budgets an expected reality of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), due to be announced in June.

The outcome of the CSR will be pivotal for sport, recreation and physical activity in the UK, serving as an indication of how the sector’s impact and potential is valued by the Government and how this translates into support across the rest of this parliament.

As industry leaders, we are united in our belief that increasing participation in sport, recreation and physical activity is a solution to many of the issues in the Government’s in-tray, from driving economic growth and employment, to strengthening the connectivity within our communities, taking pressure off the NHS, and supporting the health and happiness of children and young people. The growth and development of this sector is inextricably linked to improving the health and wellbeing of the nation, and in doing so making Britain stronger both economically and socially.

However, from 1 April many parts of the sector will be impacted by the decisions on national insurance contributions (NICs) and business rates that will suppress the sector’s growth by increasing the likelihood of redundancies and recruitment freezes, and the contraction of essential programmes and services in communities.

The Government should not compound this further by producing a CSR that weakens our sector through both reduced investment and focus, but should instead protect key funding and investment into sport, recreation and physical activity.’. The Chancellor’s statement in June provides an opportunity to acknowledge this sector as integral to the Government’s plans for national renewal, with the awareness that a weakened sport, recreation and physical activity sector will lead to a weakened Britain.

About the National Sector Partners Group

*The NSPG is formed of:
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
The Youth Sport Trust.

Through our collaborative work as sector partners, we aim to engage decision makers to improve the operating landscape for the sector and embed sport, recreation and physical activity as a key contributor to wider public policy objectives.