Sports and Recreation

In June 2008, the DCMS published “Playing to win – a new era for sport” which sets out the Government’s ambition to become a truly world leading sporting nation, capitalising on the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

The sport legacy ambition is to develop a sustainable world leading sports system where more people play sport and more people succeed at the elite level. At a grass roots level, this means achieving the following targets

• 1 million more adults doing sport regularly, as part of the cross government plans to deliver 2 million more being regularly physically active by 2012.
• Through the Government’s PE and Sport Strategy for Young People (PESSYP), we want to create a world-class system for PE and sport and ensure that every young person aged 5-16 is offered five hours of high quality PE and sport (three hours for 16-19 year olds) each week

Sport England
Sport England is the DCMS sponsored body responsible for delivering the Government’s sporting objectives by creating a grassroots sporting legacy and its strategy for 2008-11 seeks to create the infrastructure necessary to support increased participation based on best practice, using tested ways of increasing participation and working closely with partner organisations. The key to driving increased sports participation is the new strategic relationship between Sport England and the 46 National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs), which are expected to deliver more in return for the public funding they receive.

Sport England is investing £480 million through 46 governing bodies over the next four years and this new relationship provides NGBs with greater power and control over the investment of public funds in their sport, in return for more accountability for the delivery of key targets.

This means more and better qualified coaches, more support for volunteers and a modern club network. By strengthening the sporting infrastructure Sport England is widening opportunities, attracting more people and improving the mechanisms to keep them inspired and active. The new strategy will help deliver a grassroots sporting legacy:

• Grow – to commission NGBs, community sports organisations, local authorities and third-sector organisations to deliver a range of high-quality sporting opportunities to increase participation in sport by one million adults by 2012/13 and to get more children and young people taking part in five hours of PE and school sport a week

• Sustain – maintaining existing participation levels with specific activities, including schemes coordinated with NGBs to help reduce the drop off in activity between ages 16 and 18 years. Sport England will also improve the quality of the sporting experience, keeping more people participating and raising satisfaction levels amongst participants. In addition, Sport England will contribute to the outcome, shared with the Youth Sports Trust, of more young people accessing five hours of sport a week

• Excel - create opportunities for people to excel at their chosen sport by well-defined, appropriate talent support systems for each sport.

See contact details for Sport England in the West Midlands (tel: 0121 616 6700).

English Institute of Sport
The English Institute of Sport supports our Olympic and Paralympic ambitions by providing excellent sport science and medical support to high performing athletes in training facilities across the country.

UK Sport
UK Sport is the organisation that provides funding and support to help our world-class Olympic and Paralympic athletes achieve success on the world stage, and to attract major sporting events to the UK. It also works to extend the UK’s profile and influence on the international sporting stage.