Government plans to give communities greater control over sport and physical activity investment

Exciting news landed this week that feels very close to home for us at Yorkshire Sport Foundation. The Prime Minister has announced his intention to give regional mayors greater power to put local people in control of how cultural and sporting investment is decided in their regions, and Sport England has warmly welcomed the move.

Sport England Chair Chris Boardman described the announcement as an approach the organisation strongly supports, drawing on his own experience working with the Prime Minister in Greater Manchester, where one of the country's first partnerships of this kind was established.

Sport England now works through Place Partnerships in more than 90 places across England and has formal agreements with mayoral strategic authorities, combining local knowledge with national evidence and expertise.

The announcement also aligns with Sport England's long-term strategy, Uniting the Movement, which is focused on tackling inequalities in sport and physical activity and making sure that where you live, your background or your circumstances do not determine your opportunity to be active. 

Our chief executive, Carl Hawkes, said: "This is really welcome news and something we've been working towards for some time. In Yorkshire, we've already seen first hand what becomes possible when sport and physical activity are genuinely embedded into local decision making, through our partnerships with South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire Combined Authorities. Giving communities greater control over how investment is directed is exactly the right approach, and we're excited to see this momentum building nationally."

We're looking forward to seeing these proposals develop and to continuing to play our part in making Yorkshire a place where everyone has the opportunity to move more, feel better and thrive.

Read the full Sport England statement here and find out more about the Government's plans in the Cabinet Statement: Rewiring the State.

Image credit: Sport England