Sport England Chair Chris Boardman has welcomed the Government’s ambition to give communities greater influence over decisions about sport and physical activity in their areas.
The Prime Minister today announced his intention that would see regional mayors empowered to give local people more control over how cultural and sporting investment is decided in their regions.
And we stand ready to bring our experience of working with communities and local leaders to that process.
Chris said: "We welcome the Prime Minister’s ambition to give communities greater influence over decisions about sport and physical activity in their areas.
"This is an approach Sport England strongly supports because we know what can be achieved when local people shape local investment.
"During my time working with the Prime Minister in Greater Manchester, we established one of the country's first partnerships to put communities at the heart of decisions about how investment could best improve people's lives. That same principle has since become central to Sport England's approach.
"Today we work through Place Partnerships in more than 90 places and have formal partnerships with mayoral strategic authorities across England, combining local knowledge and leadership with national evidence, expertise and accountability.
"That means we’re not starting from scratch. We have several years’ experience of working in this way and look forward to helping the Government build on that experience as these proposals are developed. Together, we can ensure local communities have a stronger voice while helping more people enjoy the benefits of an active life."
The Cabinet statement also sets out a wider review of how responsibilities and funding are divided between central government, arm’s-length bodies and local leaders.
As England’s national body for sport and physical activity, Sport England has colleagues based across the country working alongside communities, local leaders and partners to understand the particular barriers people face and shape investment around local priorities.
Alongside our Place Partnerships, we have agreements with mayoral strategic authorities setting out how Sport England and local leaders can work together.
This direction of travel also strongly aligns with Sport England’s long-term strategy, Uniting the Movement, which is focused on tackling inequalities in sport and physical activity and ensuring that where you live, your background or your circumstances do not determine your opportunity to be active.
The latest Active Lives Adult Survey shows that 64.6% of adults in England – almost 31 million people – are now active, with 3.3 million more people active than a decade ago. But that progress is not shared equally: significant inequalities remain, and where you live, your background and your circumstances continue to shape your opportunities to be active.
By continuing to invest in local partnerships, targeted support and evidence-led interventions, we are working to close these gaps and create lasting change so that everyone has the chance to enjoy the benefits of an active life.