The Sport and Recreation Alliance, alongside sector partners, has played a leading role in co-ordinating the letter. It builds on the Alliance’s consistent message to Government over a number of weeks, urging it not to take sport and recreation in this country for granted and provide additional support as part of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.
With energy costs relief for the UK’s swimming pools, leisure centres, community facilities, and gyms ending on 31 March, thousands of facilities and clubs are at risk of permanent closure or reduced services, as public and private sector organisations of all sizes face unprecedented financial challenges with bills remaining up to 200% higher than normal.
The signatories of the letter include a significant number of Alliance members, and range from major health bodies to sport’s national governing bodies, and the nation’s biggest fitness and leisure groups. Athletes such as Rebecca Adlington and celebrities including Davina McCall have also added their support.
The letter warns that, “Failure to identify bespoke support for the sector (and schools operating sports facilities) as part of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme will be the final straw for many facilities and services – especially swimming pools.
“Without national intervention, communities will see the loss of essential local services, including swimming lessons for children which are vital for water safety; multi-sport offerings; mental health services; bespoke programmes for older citizens, ethnically diverse communities, women and girls, and disabled people; and long-term health programmes including cancer rehabilitation and support for those with musculoskeletal conditions and type 2 diabetes.”
Within the letter, the coalition calls for the Government to:
- Reclassify swimming pools as energy intensive as part of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme so they have access to the higher level of discount on energy prices.
- Set out what tangible support it will provide to the wider sector –including gyms, leisure centres, sports facilities, and clubs –to help navigate the energy crisis across 2023 so that service restrictions and facility closures can be minimised.
- Set out a “plan for the growth” for the sector by aligning the proposed new Sports Strategy with the Spring Budget to unlock the potential of the sector to support the economic, health, educational and social wellbeing of the nation.
The letter was coordinated a group of bodies, including: Active Partnerships, the Association for Public Service Excellence, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity, the Chief Cultural & Leisure Officers Association, Community Leisure UK, District Councils’ Network, the Local Government Association, Sported, the Sport and Recreation Alliance, the Sport for Development Coalition, Swim England, the Swimming Teachers’ Association, the Youth Sport Trust, and ukactive.
Lisa Wainwright MBE, Sport and Recreation Alliance CEO said: “Community clubs, leisure centres, and facilities, which are so vital to sport, recreation, and physical activity in this country, are in serious danger.
“Without Government support, many of these clubs and facilities will be forced to close their doors, impacting the health – both physical and mental – of so many people. We cannot allow these community hubs to be lost, at a time when they are more important than ever.
“The Alliance is proud to have helped co-ordinate this letter, and hope that the voices of our members, alongside others in the sector, will prompt the Government action that is so desperately needed.”
Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “Over two hundred organisations and prominent individuals are united in urging the Government to safeguard essential community facilities across the country that remain under threat of service restrictions and closure, impacting people of all ages and background.
“Pools, gyms, leisure centres and community facilities form part of our social fabric, and they are vital for our nation’s health and the economy.
“Action must be taken to protect our facilities, and to help them recover and grow so they can support the growth of a healthier, happier, more productive nation.”
Read the full letter here. To support the sector, contact your MP with your concerns.
*The signatories:
Active Partnerships
Association for Public Service Excellence
Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity
Community Leisure UK
Chief Cultural & Leisure Officers Association
District Councils’ Network
Local Government Association
Sported
Sport and Recreation Alliance
Sport for Development Coalition
Swim England
Swimming Teachers’ Association
Youth Sport Trust
ukactive
1Life Management Solutions
Abbeycroft Leisure
Active IQ
Active Nation
Activity Alliance
Alliance Leisure Services
Anytime Clubs UK
Archery GB
Arthritis Action
Association of British Climbing Walls
Atrium Fitness
Aquatic Therapy
Association of Chartered Physiotherapists
Badminton England
Barnsley Premier Leisure
Baseball Softball UK
Basketball England
BH Live
Boccia England
British American Football Association
British Association of Sport Rehabilitators and Trainers
British Canoeing
British Cycling
British Dressage
British Equestrian
British Fencing
British Gymnastics
British Ice Skating
British Judo
British Mountaineering Council
British Paralympic Association
British Rowing
British Shooting
British Showjumping
British Swimming Pool Federation
British Taekwondo
British Triathlon
British Water Ski & Wakeboard
British Weightlifting
British Wheelchair Basketball
British Wrestling
Club Kingswood
Code Fitness
Coordinate Sport
David Lloyd Leisure
Durham County Council
Edinburgh Leisure
Edstart Sports Coaching
eGym GmBH
EMD UK
Endurance GB
England and Wales Cricket Board
England Athletics
England Bowls
England Boxing
England Golf
England Handball
England Hockey
England Lacrosse
England Netball
England Squash
English Indoor Bowling Association
Everybody Health & Leisure
Fisikal
Fitness First Clubs
Fitness4Less
Freedom Leisure
FTC Gym
Fusion Lifestyle
GB Boxing
Gladstone
GM Active
Goalball UK
Good Boost
Great Britain Diving Federation
Great Britain Outrigger
Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby
Greenhouse Sports
GLL
Halo Leisure
Hurlingham Polo Association
InBody UK
InspireAll
International Longevity Centre UK
Junior Adventure Group
Karate Union of Great Britain
Keepme
Laban Guild International
Leeds City Council – Sport
Leisure-net Solutions
Lifestyle Fitness
Limbpower
Miha Bodytec
Mosaic Spa & Health Clubs
Move it or Lose it
Move Technologies
Myzone
North Lanarkshire Council
Nuffield Health
Orbit4
Orthopaedic Research UK
Outdoor Industry Association
Parkour UK
Parkwood Leisure
Pentathlon GB
Places Leisure
PureGym
Quartz Sequoia Events
Richmond Group of Charities
Rounders England
Royal Life Saving Society UK
Royal Yachting Association
Rugby Football League
Rugby Football Union
Scottish Leisure Network Group
Sense
Simply Smiles
Skateboard GB
SLM Community Leisure Charity Trust
SLM Health and Fitness
Snowsport England
Snowsport Wales
Sport Aberdeen
Sport for Confidence
Sports Leaders
Squash Wales
Stevenage Leisure
Surfing England
Swim Wales
Swimming Pool and Allied Trades Association
Table Tennis England
The Food Addiction Coach
The Golf Foundation
The Gym Group
Thomas Pocklington Trust
Total Fitness
Trilogy Active
UK Athletics
Vivify
Volleyball England
Wales Golf
Wales Netball
Water Babies
Watford FC Community Trust
Welsh Athletics
Welsh Cycling
Welsh Judo
Welsh Sports Association
Welsh Triathlon
Women In Sport
Women’s Sport Collective
Zoom Media
Rebecca Adlington OBE
Chemmy Alcott
Claire Cashmore MBE
Ed Clancy OBE
James Cracknell OBE
Ben Cutmore
Sharron Davies MBE
Laura Deas
Sam Downie
Mark Foster
Chelsie Giles
Luke Greenbank
Duncan Goodhew MBE
Mike Goody
Charlie Guest
Michael Gunning
Alfie Hewett
Anna Hopkin MBE
Andy Jameson
Liz Johnson
Matty Lee MBE
Davina McCall
Scarlett Mew Jensen
Adrian Moorhouse MBE
Steve Parry MBE
Keri-Anne Payne
Jonnie Peacock MBE
Karen Pickering MBE
Scott Quin
Rebecca Redfern
Ellie Robinson MBE
Will Sach MBE
Kate Shortman
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix
Alice Tai MBE
Leon Taylor
Iwan Thomas
Daley Thompson CBE
Isabelle Thorpe
Dr Mike Tipton MBE
Lloyd Wallace
David Weir CBE
Professor Greg Whyte OBE
Marc Woods
Melanie Woods
