What does Sport England do?

Ministers have decided to change our focus and that is a legitimate choice for them to make.  We are just coming out of a comprehensive spending review and Ministers often use these reviews to look at, and sometimes change, their priorities.  What we are now all working towards is the agreement of a three year (2008-11) strategy with Ministers.  This will ensure a clear focus and allow us to move forward and deliver a world class community sports development system.

In the short term it is business as usual as we draw up and agree this new strategy for 2008-11 with Ministers.  This means working towards the 1% increase in participation in sport among adults (aged 16 plus) in priority groups, together with our work to support the children and young people strategy. Going forward (from April 2008) Sport England’s main priority will be to deliver a world class community sports development system, with a particular focus on talent development and excellence.  

This will include increasing participation in sport as a contribution to getting 2 million people more active by 2012.  Sport England will continue to play an important role in delivering school sport and the new 5 hour sports offer for children and young people.  It will also continue to have responsibility for funding non-Olympic elite performance sport.

When we say sport, what do we mean?

The Secretary of State has said that in drawing up our plans we must work on the basis of a “tight definition of sport”.  So, for example recreational cycling and walking are excluded from the definition.  But team sports like football, netball, basketball and hockey are definitely included.  We are clarifying with DCMS the exact list of which activities are in and which are out of the definition and will send further information as we get it.

For more infromation log onto www.sportengland.org