Policy for sport and recreation is sometimes rather hard to define. While there are policies which are designed to directly increase participation or elite success, many of the policy areas which affect our members stem from a wide variety of sources and often exert only an indirect influence. That is to say, many policies affect the work of sport and recreation organisations and participants, but their effect is often unintended.

Education policy naturally affects school sport, Treasury decisions determine how clubs are taxed and the Home Office deals with protecting people in sport and recreation. But there are also a number of other Departments and non-departmental bodies (often referrred to as quangos) which have an influence on the sport and recreation secto. 

Because of this diversity, the Alliance works in many different policy streams.

To help you make sense of what are often complex and sometimes technical issues, we have tried to make our summaries brief and have given details on background, current status and what actions we are pressing for.

We have broken them down into the following areas for you to follow on the website:

•  Grassroots & clubs
•  Professional sport
•  Access & facilities
•  Tax & finance
•  Sport in society
•  Europe