Today the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has begun the search for new chairs of UK Sport and Sport England and confirmed that there will not be a full merger of the two bodies.
Whilst plans to combine the two bodies were set in motion before London 2012, ministers have decided to keep the two organisations as separate entities following the Games' tremendous success.
However, the Government intends to conduct a joint review of both organisations in 2014/15 as part of the Government’s rolling programme of reviews of non-departmental public bodies.
Each body will be asked to consider efficiencies possibly from office relocation and a reduction in back office costs.
Tim Lamb, chief executive of the Sport and Recreation Alliance, welcomes the clarity that this decision brings.
“It was always going to be difficult to merge the two bodies in practice, with each of them having such different remits and geographical footprints.
“What’s important now is that UK Sport and Sport England work closely together in fulfilling their different roles, supporting national governing bodies at both grassroots and elite level.”
Commenting on the news of the outgoing chairs of the two organisations, Tim Lamb said:
“In her ten years as chair of UK Sport, Sue Campbell has shown a clarity of vision, bringing British sport to the pinnacle of elite competition and culminating in the most successful medal haul by a British team in more than a century.
“Richard Lewis has presided over a significant increase in grassroots participation with the latest Active People Survey showing more people than ever are now regularly physically active. We at the Alliance extend Richard the very best wishes as he now focuses solely on his role at the All England Club.
“The Sport and Recreation Alliance would now like to stress the need for high-calibre replacements for Sue and Richard who have the right level of experience and knowledge of the sector, in order to carry on the success that both UK Sport and Sport England have achieved in recent years.”
For more information contact the Sport and Recreation Alliance communications officer Libby Jellie.
