Who are we?
Sport England in the north west is committed to creating opportunities for people in the North West region to start in sport, stay in sport and succeed in sport.

We are committed to the national vision: making England an active and successful sporting nation.

Sport England provides the strategic lead for sport in England, and is responsible for delivering the Government's sporting objectives.
Contact the North West Sport England team

Regional focus
The North West Plan for Sport & Physical Activity 2004-2008

North West on the Move: The North West Plan for Sport & Physical Activity 2004-2008 is a plan for sport and physical activity, not a Sport England plan. Its formulation has involved national, regional and local consultations with key stakeholders, agencies and organisations across the private, public and voluntary sectors who fully understand the strategic issues and local needs of the region. It has been facilitated by Sport England under the guidance of the North West Sports Board.

The plan has two main aims:

1. To increase participation in sport and physical activity
2. To widen access and reduce inequality in participation amongst priority groups.

The plan will deliver across five themes:
Enhancing the sporting infrastructure
Improving health and well being
Developing education and skills
Benefiting the economy
Creating stronger and safer communities.

To download a copy of the full report and Executive Summary, go here

A strategic regional network has been launched to drive forward the work of the five themes and push the region to increase participation and widen access. Click here to view more details of this network, 'North West On The Move'.

Community Investment Fund
The new Community Investment Fund gives us the chance to support projects which will make a real difference to sport and physical activity in the north west.
More info

County Sports Partnerships

A County Sports Partnership is a partnership of agencies committed to providing a high quality single system for people to benefit from sport.  Action is based on local need - influencing the understanding, interpretation and deployment of national, regional and local policy. There are five CSP’s in the North West:

• Greater Sport
• Merseyside Sport
• Lancashire Sport
• Cumbria Sport
• Sport Cheshire

More info

The region
The north west is a diverse region composed of five distinct county areas: the predominantly urban counties of Greater Manchester and Merseyside, and the three shire counties of Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire.

The North West is home to nearly seven million people (12 per cent of the UK's population) and a quarter of a million businesses. As the second largest UK region after the south east, It has a size and scale that generates great potential in delivering economic, social and environmental progress and sustainability within the UK.

The region is complex in its makeup. While much of the land area is rural in nature, there exist places of very high population density and extensive sparsity, areas which are reliant on a narrow range of economic activities and others of great diversity, areas of severe and profound deprivation along with areas of significant wealth and areas of environmental degradation in the midst of landscapes of great natural beauty.

Value of sport to the region

• Sport employs 49,500 people in the North West, and households spend nearly £1.6 billion a year in the industry, which is equivalent to £236 per person
  
• Of the 49,500 people working in the industry, 16,800 are employed directly in the sports industry working in areas such as sports clubs and centres, organisations that stage spectator events, retailing of sports goods and sports manufacturers. A further 22,400 people are employed in activities that supply the sports industry including betting and gaming activities, construction, and further and higher education
  
• Residents in the North West spend £1.6 billion annually on sporting activities, goods and services, which is equivalent to £236 per person a year. Expenditure on sports clothing and footwear, subscriptions and fees, and sports-related gambling are the most important areas of spending each accounting for over a fifth of sporting expenditure
  
• Sport generates £675 million of household income a year in the region the majority of which comes from spectator sports, retailing of sport equipment and activities that supply the sport industry
  
• The sport industry generates £1.14 billion output/value added for the region, which accounts for 1.4 per cent of the region’s economy. Employment in the industry accounts for 1.8 per cent of total employment
  
• Sport in the region contributes £625 million to central government a year through taxes, and receives £96 million in sports related grants which is equivalent to £12.60 per person one of the lowest rates for all English regions
  
• Spending by tourists directly on sports is worth £13.6m with a further £16.2m spent on associated accommodation.

Source: The Value of the Sports Economy in the English Regions: North West

Regional links
England’s North West portal
Driven by the North West Development Agency, this regional portal promotes regionalism in regeneration and economic development.

Government Office North West (GO-NW)
The role of the GO-NW is to work with regional partners and local people to maximise competitiveness and prosperity in the region and to support integrated policies for an inclusive society.

North West Development Agency
The Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) is the regional development agency (RDA) for the North West of England. Its remit is to co-ordinate the economic development and regeneration of the region; to promote relocation, inward investment and competitiveness; enhance training and skills; and contribute to sustainable development.

North West Regional Assembly (NWRA)
The NWRA is a partnership of local government, business, public sector and voluntary organisations, education and training bodies, trade unions and co-operatives. The mission of the NWRA is to promote the well being of the Region in economic, environmental and social terms.

North West Cultural Consortium
The Cultural Consortium is the strategic partnership for the development of culture in England’s Northwest. Sectors covered by the Cultural Consortium include arts, heritage, museums, libraries, archives, architecture, tourism, sport, lottery, and the creative industries including media.