Memorandum submitted by Sport England
INTRODUCTION
1. Sport England is the lead agency for
community sport in England and as such welcomes the Committee's
Inquiry into the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. There has
been much emphasis to date on Britain's medal prospects in 2012,
so the opportunity to focus on the work to build a powerful community
legacy for sport, in London and around the country, is extremely
timely.
2. We believe that hosting the Games in
2012 represents an unparalleled opportunity for sport at all levels.
The power of a London Games to inspire a new generation in sport
and the Olympic ideals lay at the heart of the vision outlined
by Sebastian Coe in his presentation to the IOC in Singapore.
Sport England shares this vision for 2012 and believes that the
legacy extends beyond buildings and medals—though these
are important—and lies in engaging millions of people in
sport and active recreation.
3. Our target is to increase the number
of people over 16 taking part in sport, including those from priority
groups[20]
by 3% by 2008. Sport England embraces the opportunity provided
by the Olympic and Paralympic Games and is providing funding to
deliver the infrastructure and regional support needed in order
to build a successful legacy for the community. Sustained funding
in this area is necessary to ensure that the good work already
undertaken is built upon and the maximum legacy benefits from
the Games are realised.
4. Sport England therefore welcomes the
Inquiry and would welcome the opportunity to present oral evidence
to the Committee.
FUNDING THE
GAMES
5. Sport England anticipates that submissions
from LOCOG and the ODA will outline in detail the proposed funding
for the Games. In addition, Sport England has contributed to a
joint submission from the Lottery Forum on behalf of all Lottery
Distributors. This section therefore deals principally with the
Lottery funding from Sport England earmarked for the Games.
6. In total, £340 million of the £1.5
billion Lottery funding allocated to 2012 is due to come from
sport distributors. The Sport England contribution to this is
estimated at £295 million. This contribution is allocated
to a variety of initiatives to achieve a balanced strategy: a
world class environment to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games
in London; the preparation of English and British athletes (up
to the funding transfer to UK Sport);[21]
and the delivery of a community legacy to maximise the impact
of the Games by increasing and widening participation. The community
legacy allocation will be largely determined by local people based
on local need through our Delivery System of County Sport Partnerships
and Community Sport Networks. The breakdown of Sport England's
contribution is outlined below:
World Class Environment
Aquatics centre
7. A £40 million funding allocation
has been made by Sport England towards the development of the
Aquatics centre. £1.5 million from this allocation was drawn
down during the bid phase to develop the project and demonstrate
to the IOC London's commitment to providing world-class facilities
for the games. The remaining £38.5 million allocation from
Sport England will be utilised to ensure the Aquatics centre provides
a world-class facility for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games and a lasting legacy for all members of the community to
participate in swimming and diving.
Velodrome
£10.5 million has been allocated by Sport
England towards securing the velodrome development during the
games and a lasting legacy for cycling following the games. An
application to enable the release of funding is yet to be received.
Picketts Lock/Portsmouth Multi—sport hub
£7 million has been provided to Picketts
Lock in the Lea Valley as a potential athletics training venue
and £5.5 million to Portsmouth to create a multi sport hub
(including a 50 metre pool) which again could be a potential training
and holding camp facility.
Community legacy—Building capacity and Talent
Development
8. Sport England's nine regions will be investing
£183 million up until the Games to build capacity within
the sport sector and support talent development. Sport England
sees both activities as important in terms of increasing participation
and ensuring a lasting legacy for the Games. Building capacity,
for example through the placing of more community sport workers
in community organisations enables new people to take part and
helps retain existing participants in sport. Talent development
contributes to participation levels through creating role models,
and providing the aspiration, and motivation to enable existing
and new participation to be sustainable in the longer term. High
quality coaching experiences and club environments will enable
people to be retained in sport, and retention is a critical component
of building sustainable participation and a legacy for the Games.
Partnership Investment
9. Sport England, in partnership with the Regional
Development Agencies (RDAs), has also contributed towards securing
a network of regional Olympic coordinators to ensure that London's
bid proposals bring benefits to the whole of England. For example,
in the East region £75,000 from Sport England and £75,000
from the East of England Regional Development Agency (EEDA) has
been invested to fund an Olympic regional co-ordinator post for
two years.
10. Other investment within the East region
to ensure legacy benefits ranges from the allocation of £50,000
by Sport England to the development of a regional facilities study
with EEDA to £30,000 invested in marketing and promotional
activity such as a regional conference on training camps. In addition
£1.3 million has been secured from the European Social Fund
to develop skills within the sport sector to ensure the Games
are successful and the legacy benefits realised.
11. A variety of other sport and physical activity
projects have been supported throughout the English regions, and
have to date been presented as the regional dividend to the 2012
Olympic and Paralympic Games.
12. It is important to note that Sport England
has not established specific Olympic 2012 funded programmes but
has identified opportunities where existing programmes and funding
streams could be linked to London 2012. For example, as part of
the Active England Programme there is funding support for an Olympic
Action Zone in the London Borough of Newham.
Other Direct Investment by Sport England
13. Across all the regions Sport England resources
in terms of staff time are being used to spread the Olympic legacy
benefits. Some of the Sport England Regional Sport Board (RSB)
members chair the nations and regions group within their regions.
The South East and East RSB chairs are also represented on the
national nations and regions group co-ordinated by LOCOG. Sport
England representatives also are represented on a number of national
and regional working groups involved in developing the delivery
plans for each of the key sub-objectives.
FUNDING IMPACTS
14. It is anticipated that, if required, £410
million (of the £1.5 billion total from Lottery contributions)
will be allocated to the Olympic Lottery Distributor from 2009
onwards from the existing Lottery distributors.
15. Depending on this allocation from existing
Lottery distributors to this pot it is estimated that the reduction
in funding to Sport England could be up to £60 million. Sport
England's share of ticket sales for the three years up to 2009
could also be £20 million lower than projected as a result
of the money from tickets being diverted to the hypothecated Olympic
Lottery games. Overall while we remain of the opinion that the
Olympic and Paralympic Games will boost community sport, we also
believe that this outcome can best be maximised by strong ongoing
Lottery funding for sport.
Sustained investment in grassroots sport
16. The focus on sport in the years to 2012
has the potential to boost investment in sport from both public
and private sources. Sport England welcomes the additional funding
for elite sport, it is critical however, that increased emphasis
on performance levels is not at the expense of sport in the community
and that a substantial proportion of this investment is targeted
at grass roots level. Medals alone cannot guarantee a sustainable
legacy; rather we need the right physical and human infrastructure
in place to ensure that increases in participation and the legacy
benefits can be secured for future generations.
17. Sustained or increased investment in community
sport from all sources (public and private) is required to ensure
we can fulfil the legacy benefits outlined in London's Candidate
File. An Olympic Park Legacy Group has been set up to steer the
legacy of the venues. Sport England, in leading the wider community
legacy aspects, will co-ordinate and consult all relevant groups
and stakeholders in delivering this work.
The potential power of branding
18. A step change in sport and people's lifestyles
is needed to gain real health and economic benefits. Partners
are keen to use the power of the Olympic and Paralympic brand
to galvanise people at the local level. Whilst we are aware of
the critical importance of protecting the 2012 brand to facilitate
income generation through sponsorship, clarification is needed
around use of the 2012 brand by non-commercial partners. We understand
that guidelines are under development and we look forward to early
involvement in these discussions.
19. The issue of branding of Lottery funded
Games projects also needs careful consideration as part of these
discussions.
Impact on non-Olympic sports and disability sport
20. The ability of non-Olympic sports to deliver
increased participation and success could be affected if their
funding is reduced. To generate a step change in participation
in sport and active recreation we need to appeal to a wide audience
and support a broad range of activities. Similarly, one of Sport
England's strategic objectives is to widen access to sport by
priority groups—including disabled people. The power of
the Paralympic Games particularly is something that needs to be
harnessed and embedded within all delivery plans.
2. MAXIMISING
THE LEGACY
AND POTENTIAL
BENEFITS OF
2012
21. Sport England is contributing fully to ensuring
that hosting the Games in 2012 provides a lasting legacy for sport
and the nation as a whole. This builds on the work of former Sport
England Chair, Lord Carter of Coles, who chaired the Legacy Board
of the 2012 bid team. Sport England supported the bid from its
inception and has been a proactive participant in the London 2012
candidature file submission writing the legacy strategy flowing
from the Legacy Board and Legacy Integration Groups. The 2012
community sport legacy is seen by Sport England as a means of
pursuing long-standing strategic objectives, building on existing
programmes and activities to add value.
Sport England's responsibility for Government
objectives
22. In order to maximise the benefits from this
opportunity, Sport England is incorporating 2012 legacy activities
within its delivery plan and is also taking on responsibility
for specific government objectives.
23. Sport England has been tasked by DCMS to
be the Lead Delivery Partner for the Sub Objective 4.4 "To
maximise the increase in UK participation at community grass roots
level in all sports and across all groups". Within London
Sport England has also been tasked by the Mayor to take lead responsibility
for sub-objective 4.5 and share lead (with the LDA) on sub objective
4.7. Sport England has been involved in developing the delivery
plans for the other sub-objectives around health, education and
volunteering.
Delivery and business planning
24. In order to achieve the above objectives
Sport England is embedding the Olympic legacy within its next
delivery plan phase. This will build on the Community Sport Legacy
strategy prepared to support the bid and embed the recommendations
and priorities within Sport England's 2008-12 delivery plan. This
is currently being planned alongside the review of the National
Framework for Sport in England and subsequent regional plans for
sport.
25. Alongside facilities development, the legacy
strategy recognised the need to develop capacity through the volunteer,
coaching and club infrastructure, and develop opportunities for
active recreation, as well as progression through to talent pathways.
Key also is the integration of development programmes with accessible
facility, school and university provision with community opportunities.
26. The strategy also drew on the identified
gains of integrating sport with other regeneration and community
strategies with mutual outcomes benefiting health, the volunteer-base,
educational and training opportunities, the skills base and community
cohesion. The key areas of the strategy that Sport England is
developing, are outlined below along with a few of the targets
identified in the London delivery plan for sub objective 4.5,
currently out for consultation. These themes have been taken up
by the five Olympic Park boroughs in developing their joint Five
Borough Sports Development Strategy and it features in a number
of emerging strategies across London.
— Access—Making opportunities
for sports participation more widely available. Interventions
being explored in the run up to 2012 include a Street Games programme
and a sport scheme to regenerate brown field land for sporting
use. Lessons learnt from the recent evaluation of Sport Action
Zones will also be used to ensure that investment in improving
access can have maximum potential in London and across the whole
of the country. eg Growing the number of events in the London
Summer of Sport by 10% per year.
— Club—Building the organisational
capacity for long-term retention of participants through improved
opportunities for progression and competition. Interventions being
explored include expanding the network of quality marked clubs
and establishing 2012 Community Sports Clubs linked to legacy
venues in partnership with wider community networks. Proposals
linked to the implementation of the new duty on Local Authorities
to provide a "four hour offer" could also be used to
expand the number of clubs as more casual safe and enjoyable places
for people to take part in sport, eg 25 new multi-sport environments
in place by 2009.
— Capacity Building—Building
the human resources for the sector, focusing on leadership, skills,
and workforce development, with a particular emphasis on volunteers
and coaches; and incentivising organisational development and
collaboration. Early proposals being explored include a volunteer
accredited skills programme and working with Olympic sports to
recruit Volunteer Coordinators leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic
Games, eg 392 new Community sport coaches by 2007.
— Talent—Building clear
pathways that support the identification and development of talent.
Proposals being considered include a new National Sports Club
Network across thousands of clubs and new talent development programmes
with governing bodies and other partners.
— Fit—Building physical
activity levels in the community at large. This will be led by
the Department of Health and we will ensure the health benefits
through increased participation in sport are maximised. Interventions
being explored include extending the Active Work Places initiative
(well@work) eg 50 new employers in London involved in the Active
workplace initiative by 2009.
27. In addition to the above themes, the Youth
Sports Trust and others are leading work to increase the take-up
of sporting opportunities by five to 16 year olds. Interventions
include developing links between schools and clubs, developing
a programme of inter-school competitions, providing sports leadership
and volunteering opportunities for young people and holding a
UK School Games each year in the run up to 2012 to showcase emerging
young talent.
28. With regard to the sub-objective 4.7, Sport
England with the LDA are developing the delivery plan and have
established an Olympics Park Legacy Group to ensure the legacy
briefs for each venue are developed and legacy benefits truly
maximised. Hosting the games will leave an extended integrated
physical legacy within the Olympic Park comprising a stadium,
aquatics facility, velopark and hockey stadium. Alternative uses
for the venues post—Games needs to however be built into
the legacy planning now such as the re-use of these venues in
hosting innovative sporting events. For example the recent Paralympic
World Cup was held in the former Commonwealth Games venues in
Manchester. Similarly the Olympic stadium will form the home for
the proposed London Olympic Institute, bringing long term performance
sport support, research and medical facilities to the venue.
29. Sport England is also building in performance
measurement into the legacy initiatives to gauge the real impact
of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in helping to drive up participation.
A key measurement tool will be Sport England's Active People survey
undertaken in 2005-06 and planned to be repeated in 2008-09 and
in 2011-12. This will give a picture of participation levels at
a local authority level for the very first time and will demonstrate
whether participation levels in England have increased.
30. These initiatives and their subsequent impact
however, can only be achieved if this is done in partnership,
with appropriate levels of funding support from all sources.
3. POTENTIAL
BENEFITS OF
2012—NATIONS AND
REGIONS
31. We believe that the increased emphasis on
sport and physical activity the Olympic and Paralympic Games brings
has the potential to contribute beyond sport alone. If we maximise
the legacy of the Games by increasing participation this will
also help achieve wider socio-economic outcomes such as: boosting
the economy; support the ongoing work on the Respect drive in
helping to build stronger, safer, sustainable communities; improve
our nation's health and well-being; support the development of
our children and young people; and drive regeneration. These are
outlined below.
Widening access
32. The Olympic and Paralympic Games have a
unique appeal to people around the world, irrespective of their
faith, nationality, race, sex or background. The Paralympics additionally
showcase the extraordinary talents of many athletes with a disability,
providing inspiration to many others.
33. As such the Games have immense potential
to support the ongoing work to reach out to a number of groups
who are currently under-represented in sport and physical activity,
and who are therefore missing out on sport and its benefits.
Economic Benefits
34. Sport can be a powerful tool to enhance
the physical fabric of communities, stimulating the local economy
and improving the image of towns and cities to tourists and outside
investors.
35. The increased ability to attract national/
international sporting events around the country will also ensure
not only sporting benefits but economic benefits to other regions
are realised. As the Commonwealth Games in Manchester showed real
economic impact can be gained through large scale events.
Economic Benefits of the Manchester Games
The Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games contributed
significantly to the economic vitality of the city. An evaluation
of the impact identified that as a result of the Games:
— 6,500 jobs were created.
— 300,000 additional visitors were
attracted to Manchester.
— £670 million of additional inward
investment for Manchester was generated.
— A 150 acre derelict site was regenerated
and 72,000 m2 of employment floor space was created.
— Approximately 250 companies have
realised an additional increase of £22 million in their turnover,
as a result of trade development and supply chain initiatives
linked to the Games.
— New transport links were put in place.
— New neighbourhood facilities and
outreach sports programmes were provided.
36. Hosting the Games in 2012 will also enhance
our appeal as a destination to a worldwide audience of billions,
and showcase London's strengths as a tourist attraction. Work
to capitalise on this in the run-up to 2012 is happening around
the country. While the priority focus has been on London as the
bidding City, a key strength of the bid was the significant buy-in
from other parts of the UK who note and welcome the opportunities
to showcase not just London but the whole of the UK as a tourist
destination, pre, during and post Games is significant. "The
cultural assets and activities we offer are crucial to the identity
and attractiveness of South West England. They are one of the
reasons why we attract 26 million visitors a year. South West
England has a huge amount to contribute to the London Olympics
in 2012", South West Regional Development Agency.
37. Many regional Sport England offices with
their respective RDAs are developing sport tourism strategies
which will help attract visitors pre and post the Olympic and
Paralympic Games.
Educational and skills achievement
38. Sport can also play a key role in raising
standards in school, improving the basic skills of young people
and helping to improve physical co-ordination, concentration,
communication skills, self-confidence and a sense of fair play.
39. Sport can provide alternative learning options
and "a hook" through which young people can be engaged
in learning activity outside the school environment. An example
of this is the "Playing for Success" initiative which
aims to raise educational standards by setting study support centres
in professional football clubs and other venues, using sport as
the medium to support work in literacy, numeracy and ICT.
40. The Olympic and Paralympic Games can act
as a catalyst engaging young people into training and employment
throughout the UK.
Healthier communities
41. The role of sport in promoting physical
and mental health is increasingly recognised, and 2012 has played
a key role in helping to raise the profile of sport and promote
a public health message.
42. The Chief Medical Officer's 2004 report
"At least five a week", sets out the evidence of the
impact of physical activity on health, for example reducing the
risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some types of cancer,
obesity, hypertension, osteoporosis, musculoskeletal problems
and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Research
also demonstrates the intellectual, spiritual, emotional and mental
health benefits that people gain from participating in sport.
43. The Choosing Health Physical Activity Plan
published by the Department of Health, acknowledged the role the
Olympics can play in promoting more active lifestyles. The opportunity
to use the Olympic message and idea to promote health and physical
activity across the UK is starting to be recognised and championed
by government and other public bodies.
Volunteering
44. The involvement of local people as volunteers
in decision making and management of sports activities and facilities,
provides individuals with a greater sense of empowerment and ownership.
The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic volunteering strategy has
drawn on the experience of the successful Manchester Commonwealth
Games volunteer programme and other volunteer initiatives which
Sport England has been involved in. Sport England has inputted
into the development of this strategy and our represented on the
UK wide Voluntary Strategy Group led by LOCOG.
Stronger, safer and sustainable communities
45. Sport can be a powerful tool to engage all
sections of the community and break down barriers between them.
It contributes to strengthen community involvement, engagement,
identity and pride, improving community cohesion, reducing crime
and anti-social behaviours and improving the quality of the built
and natural environment and creating a sense of place.
46. Sport helps young people to feel involved
in their local community and to associate themselves with the
people and area in which they live. Local sports activities, festivals
and competitions generate a sense of identity and pride. Sport
can provide a medium through which young people can have a say
on what takes place in their community instilling a sense of community
ownership and pride.
47. Sport also has a powerful ability and excellent
track record in bringing people together, including those from
diverse backgrounds and from different ages. The Olympic and Paralympic
Games, as expressed by the IOC's ideals and by Seb Coe in Singapore
and are perhaps the greatest embodiment of this potential to unite
nations and communities through sport.
48. Linking activities around 2012 to local
initiatives and existing programmes such as Positive Futures,
a Home Office programme run by Crime Concern to reduce crime,
give young people skills and combat anti-social behaviour through
sport, could support existing work to bring communities together.
The Olympic and Paralympic Games presents a powerful platform
for this that is particularly timely in light of growing inter-community
tensions in some areas, nationally and internationally.
CONCLUSION
49. The Olympic and Paralympic Games affords
a huge opportunity to increase participation in sport and achieve
the associated wider socio-economic benefits outlined above.
50. Through its work to increase and widen participation,
Sport England is at the forefront of ensuring that a lasting community
legacy is derived from the London 2012 Games. Investment in the
Olympic and Paralympic Games and community sport, must reinforce
each other and build on existing work in this area by all partners.
This is critical if we are to maximise the benefits of the Games
for sport and the nation as a whole.
6 October 2006
20 These are women and girls; disabled people; those
from black and ethnic minority backgrounds and from deprived socio-economic
groups. Back
21
Funding has already been allocated to Olympic and Paralympic
success via the £10 million allocated towards achieving athlete
success at Athens, plus £8 million towards Beijing in 2008
(up until 2006). £31 million to the English Institute of
Sport to support the development of athletes for the London Games
up to the transfer of responsibility to UK Sport in April 2006. Back
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