Sports sector calls for “stronger measures” to reduce inequalities

The National Sector Partners Group (NSPG) has called for stronger measures to reduce inequalities in physical activity.

The call is a response to the latest Active Lives study from Sport England, which shows there remain “long-standing inequalities” based on gender, ethnicity and disability. Women, those from lower socio-economic groups and Black and Asian people are still less likely to be active than others.

Worryingly, there has been a fall in the number of Black and Asian adults who are classed as physically active.

This despite Sport England saying it has put “tackling inequalities at the heart” of its Uniting the Movement strategy, which it launched more than three years ago, in January 2021.

NSPG – a coalition of lead representative bodies from across the sport, recreation and physical activity sectors – also highlighted how the UK is currently 11th out of 15 comparable European nations for activity levels.

“Data from the Active Lives study clearly demonstrates that we must work harder and faster to generate transformative change in our nation’s health and wellbeing,” the NSPG said in a statement. These results show a growing gap in levels of activity among different income and deprivation demographics. This was identified as a clear focus of the government’s Get Active strategy announced last year.