Sport is a crucial factor in the lives of millions across the country. It provides joy, laughter, and drama. From netball courts to athletics tracks and from rugby pitches to golf greens, sport provides meaning and community for so many us.
While the social and economic aspects should not be understated, the health benefits of taking up a sport are massive. Active people are fitter, happier and healthier. A study commissioned by Sport England and conducted by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University, found that the value of physical activity in preventing physical and mental health conditions was worth £9.5bn to the economy. This represents an enormous return on investment for all of us. Therefore, I am highly supportive of the Government’s ‘Get Active Strategy’, which aims to get over 3.5 million people more active by 2030, including 1 million young people.
The Government will invest over £320 million between 2021 and 2025, with a specific focus on those communities most in need and increasing the participation of under-represented groups. To this end, any project receiving a grant over £25,000 must have a strong equal access plan for women and girls.
As a nation we have an outsized influence on global sport. Football and Cricket, two sports that have their origins on our small island, consistently dominate lists of the most popular spectator sports. As the Member of Parliament for Kenilworth and Southam, I am also keenly aware of the deep sporting history in our local area. With the Six Nations scheduled to begin this weekend, I am reminded that not too far from where I am currently writing, in a muddy field over two hundred years ago, a young boy called William Webb Ellis picked up the ball during his game of football and created something beautiful. Nor should it be forgotten, whilst enjoying Wimbledon in the July sunshine that we can but dream of currently, that the first lawn tennis club in the world was founded only a short distance away in Royal Leamington Spa.
With this in mind, I am delighted to hear that three sporting organisations based in Kenilworth and Southam have received funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Investment fund. The money provided to Leek Wootton FC, Wellesbourne Wanders FC, and Stockton Football and Cricket Club will ensure they can continue to improve the lives of local communities and nurture future sporting trailblazers.
For help in finding a sports club near you, please visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/get-inspired/45353880.
