A call to Action

Sports Think Tank published its Road to the 2024 Election Manifesto document in January. SportsNation looks at some of 100+ policy calls in the document, provided by 29 physical activity sector organisations

Sports Think Tank’s landmark document, The Road to the 2024 Election Manifesto – 100 policy ideas for sport, physical activity and wellbeing, presents policy proposals from 29 physical activity sector organisations. The document offers unique insights into the sector’s wants and needs and acts as an important barometer, measuring the temperature of the sector on a number of important topics ahead of this year’s general election.

Resource-neutral options

The contributors to the document range from national governing bodies of sport, educational institutions and charities to architects and industry organisations. Their calls cover a wide range of areas, each designed to help drive much needed change in the sector. Proposals include introducing new legislation and improving the performance of agencies. Addressing the deep seated inequalities across the sector is a common theme.

While there is a wide range of ideas and proposals, there is one common thread that runs through each of the policy calls. Sports Think Tank asked organisations that their suggestions should be resource-neutral. The idea behind that was to whet the appetite of the

UK’s leading political parties to be able to pick and champion any of them in their forthcoming manifestos – without the need to make spending pledges.

Play for all

Play England’s policy call for the future government is clear – to introduce Play Sufficiency legislation in England. The organisation wants to see the establishment of statutory guidance for local authorities which should incorporate an assessment for and secure sufficient play and recreation opportunities and conduct regular play sufficiency reports.

According to Play England’s Eugene Minogue, the legislation should cover (but not be limited to) the following three key areas: spaces and places for play and recreation; workforce (qualifications, registration and regulation); provision (high-quality, inclusive play services).

“Play Sufficiency legislation for England would establish statutory guidance. While every local authority in England is required to have a local plan, spaces and place for play often fall through the cracks as there is no ‘body’ to speak for them,” Minogue says. “By covering the three key areas – workforce, provision and spaces and places – would ensure that all children, young people and families have access to enough time, space, opportunity and permission to play and recreation throughout all aspects of their daily lives.

“Play is the foundation of all human movement, physical literacy, physical activity, PE and sport. It is vital for all children and young people and it’s the main way they enjoy their daily lives, make friends and learn about the world around them.”

Active environments

Another of the contributors is David Morley Architects (DMA). In the document, Andy Mytom, partner at DMA, outlines the need to create inclusive spaces for movement that deliver on health and wellbeing outcomes. Featured within the chapter on preventative health, Mytom calls on the government to re-imagine spaces for movement and design-in active landscapes to future developments that allow everyone the opportunity to be active.

“The benefits of creating spaces for movement are huge, no matter whether you’re an elite athlete, a committed sports enthusiast, a parent trying to get their children more active or someone encouraging seniors to take part in activities. That’s why our policy call is for the incoming government to unlock latent potential through a review of permitted development not yet built. “We would like to see the introduction of a scheme whereby projects with play and pitch strategies that pre-date Sport England’s 10-year strategy are reviewed to ensure the detailed designs that are delivered respond to what we now know to support activity for all for life. “This would allow the community to reassess and confirm that what is being delivered is what is needed – for the entire community, be it formal or informal sport/play or open space.” DMA also calls for active environments to be included in planning policies. “We call for all future governments to include policies for health and activity, inclusion and diversity through active environments in planning,” Mytom said. “We would want to see them sit alongside those for active travel, play, sports pitch and facility strategies. This could be a cost-neutral exercise, as active environments (more than play and pitches) would then become included in all development plans.” Jo Maher

Policy

Educational focus

The education sector is also represented in the document, with Loughborough University and Loughborough College each contributing their policy calls.

Loughborough College calls for the incoming government to simplify the funding streams for further education. This would ensure that the physical activity workforce – which is crucial for the sector’s future development – is given the “opportunities it deserves” to upskill in a timely manner, rather than relying on complicated funding arrangements which can take time to secure.

“There are too many silos and lines which make up our funding streams,” says Professor Jo Maher, Loughborough College’s Principal and Chief Executive (and now Loughborough University’s Pro-Vice Chancellor for Sport). “We recently had an exercise to count all of them – and the final figure was 42.

“The complex funding systems place a number of pressures on the sector. One of these is the need to constantly tender and compete for funding. As a result, FE institutions face a significant cost of acquisition. There is also some waste within that.

“A simplified funding system would give colleges more stability and capacity, not least through the avoidance of duplication and removal of bureaucratic processes, needless red tape and multiple tenders. Being able to work on the basis of trusted provider status with accountability would make a huge difference.”

We need to maximise the unique position of schools to provide all children and young children with daily opportunities to be physically active

Meanwhile, The Youth Sport Trust calls for the harnessing of the potential of PE, play and sport in schools. It wants to see the role of PE being elevated within schools and for a dedicated coordination and delivery team to work across a family of schools in every community.

“We need to maximise the unique position of schools to provide all children and young children with daily opportunities to be physically active,” says Ali Oliver, Youth Sport Trust CEO. “There should be a dedicated coordination and delivery team, collaborating nationally and embedded locally to provide the infrastructure needed to deliver a cohesive and broad offer. The offer should also be tailored to the education landscape and shaped flexibly to respond to local needs.

“We would also like to see a commitment to increase the use of existing facilities to provide physical activity and sport outside the school day, capitalising on the role of schools, care and education settings as community hubs and trusted institutions. This should be aligned to long-term capital investment in school facilities and support a guarantee for every child to have free access to daily, co-curricular sport, as part of an ambition to put physical activity at the hear of education before, during and after the school day.

Equal opportunities

In the document, Women in Sport calls for gender impact assessments to become mandatory for all sports organisations in receipt of public funding. The data should, the organisation says, be then used to make resources in sport more equal, including equal pay.

“It is an ongoing injustice that more public resources are allocated to men’s sport than to women’s,” says Stephanie Hilborne, CEO of Women in Sport. “Denying the existence of this inequality only serves to further it. This is why gender impact reporting – an honest assessment of how much of the resources of a sport are benefitting women and girls – is the first step. Like environmental impact assessments and gender pay gap reporting, gender impact reporting will shine a light on the effects that budgeting decisions have on girls and women.”

Crucial document

The publication of the document and the 100+ policy ideas has caused healthy debate within the sector. As the general election approaches – and the exact date could soon be revealed – it will be interesting to see which policies are picked up by the parties.

Commenting on the publication of the document, Kim Leadbeater MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Sport, said: “It is not hyperbole to claim that physical activity remains one of the most under-used resources we have at our disposal when tackling some of our most persistent challenges, from easing the pressures on the NHS, tackling crime and improving economic productivity to finding ways to level up.

“That’s why this is a crucial document. It brings together ideas, proposals and calls from across the sport, physical activity, and wellbeing sector, making for a fascinating and inspiring read. From simple ideas that could be easily implemented to more wide-reaching changes intended to shift the dial on public discourse, there is plenty of food for thought.

“Perhaps most importantly – and this is where political parties should prick up their ears – the contributors were challenged to make each policy call cost-neutral. In these economically trying times, this aspect alone should make the document you have in your hands essential reading. Another aspect that adds value to this document is the sheer variety of the ideas.”

Andy Reed OBE, founder of Sports Think Tank, added: “We know there is no shortage of reports and policy asks produced by the sector, but we felt there was space for organisations who don’t always get heard but have something useful to add. To access the full document, visit: [www.sportsthinktank.com/live-manifesto.html](https://www.sportsthinktank.com/live-manifesto.html)