Sport England today published new participation figures which
show a continuing strong performance by sports such as running,
table tennis and boxing, but decreasing participation in other
major sports such as swimming and tennis.
Across the country 6.927 million people[i] are now taking part
three times a week, that’s 111,800 more than in 2007/08 and 632,000
more than in 2005/6 when the Olympic bid was won. 14.759 million
adults are playing sport at least once a week.
Of real concern, however, is the fall in the number of young
people aged between 16 and 19 playing sport[ii] – with drops in
this age range in major sports including football, tennis and
swimming. Across the rest of the adult population, the number of
people playing sport is increasing [iii].
The results also show an increase in participation among
disabled people[iv] and among men[v] since 2007/8, but a decrease
in the number of women[vi] playing sport.
Sport England’s Chief Executive, Jennie Price, said:
“This is a disappointing set of results. If we are to maintain
the current level of public investment in grassroots sport, we need
more governing bodies to demonstrate they can increase
participation in their sports. We are working in a tough climate,
with a third of those playing less sport putting it down to
economic factors, but the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year
give us a great opportunity to reverse this trend.
“The results also clearly show that we need to work much harder
with young people, given the fall in participation among 16- to
19-year-olds.
“I am encouraged to see an increase in the number of disabled
people playing sport. But we need to tackle head on the widening
gender gap by doing much more to make sport relevant and appealing
to women.”
Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics, said:
“Although not unexpected, these figures are very disappointing.
It is for this reason that we have spent the second half of this
year working with Sport England and governing bodies on a new
strategy with particular emphasis on youth sport, that we will
announce in the New Year. This strategy will be based on concrete
results in return for Government investment and will ensure we
create a real and lasting sports legacy after London’s Games.”
Among people who are playing less sport than they were, almost a
third said this was down to economic factors[vii] such as cost or a
lack of time due to work commitments. Government statistics show
that the average weekly spend on 'recreation and culture' has
dipped from £70.10 in 2005 to £58.10 last year[viii].
The latest 12-month period being published today, includes
November and December 2010 when sports participation – and team
sports in particular – was disrupted by particularly bad
weather.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Sport England is now 30 months into a four-year investment
period for 46 sports’ national governing bodies. The sports have
been set individual targets to increase participation over the four
years, with the latest sport-by-sport figures also published on our
website today. Baselines were set by the APS2 results.
Sport England is focused on the delivery of a mass participation
legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We invest
National Lottery and Exchequer funding in organisations and
projects that will grow and sustain participation in grassroots
sport and create opportunities for people to excel at their chosen
sport.
Footnotes
[i] Based on telephone interviews with 166,000 adults (aged 16
and over) living in England between Oct. 2010 and Oct. 2011 for the
Active People Survey 5 (APS5), which was carried out by TNS-BMRB on
behalf of Sport England. APS5 figures are based on Office for
National Statistics (ONS) population data for mid-2010. Comparisons
are with APS2 and APS1.
[ii] Compared with APS2, the number of 16- to 19-year-olds
participating three times a week has gone from 930,400 to
825,900.
[iii] Compared with APS2, the number of people aged 20 and over
participating three times a week has gone from 5.885 million to 6.1
million.
[iv] Compared with APS2, the number of adults with a limiting
disability/illness participating three times a week, has increased
from 594,500 to 640,600.
[v] The number of men participation at least three times a week
was 4.245 million, which is 217,900 greater than the figure for
APS2.
[vi] Three-times-a-week participation among women has decreased
from 2.788 million to 2.682 million between APS2 and APS5.
[vii] Economic factors were cited by 33.8 % of men and 25.6% of
women as the main reason for doing less sport.
[viii] The Family Spending Report 2011, published by the Office
for National Statistics