Summary
In this inquiry we set out to understand how well community and school sport is meeting the needs of people across England. There was a mixed picture: strong demand, committed volunteers, and many successful local initiatives, but also persistent financial pressure, limited facilities, a lack of prioritisation in the school curriculum, and an absence of national coordination that prevents the system from operating effectively.
Current funding for school and community sport is insufficient and increasingly unstable. Falling local authority budgets, rising operating costs for facilities, and fragmented, short-term funding streams all make long-term planning difficult. Investment in community sport and physical activity delivers substantial social and economic returns, including reduced illness, improved productivity, and support for people returning to work. Underinvestment is felt most acutely in communities already experiencing significant inequalities. Yet, spending on sport and physical activity as a proportion of Government expenditure lags well behind our European neighbours. We also need a plan to bring in more private investment.
Facilities remain a significant barrier to participation. Ageing infrastructure, uneven provision across the country, and long-standing gaps in national data about the condition and availability of facilities are all problems. Facility closures and deteriorating stock disproportionately affect smaller sports and disadvantaged communities. The previous Government’s commitment to produce a national facilities strategy was not delivered.
Schools play a central role in shaping young people’s lifelong relationship with physical activity, yet provision is inconsistent. Issues include declining curriculum time for PE, variable teacher training, restrictive or uncomfortable kit policies, and a narrow curriculum offer that does not meet the needs of many children—particularly girls, pupils with SEND, and those who are already less active. Schools also face difficulty coordinating with local clubs and community organisations because of capacity constraints and the loss of previous partnership structures.
Community sport offers wider social, health and economic benefits, but these are unevenly realised. Community-based programmes help build social cohesion, support mental and physical health, and provide essential opportunities for volunteers. However, provision is not distributed evenly, with the greatest barriers to participation found in areas experiencing both high deprivation and low levels of community infrastructure. Volunteers, who underpin delivery across the system, face increasing administrative and compliance burdens.
Physical activity spans multiple policy domains—education, health, local government, planning, transport and community development—yet responsibilities remain siloed. The absence of a single cross-Government framework to align investment, accountability and delivery is acutely felt. Without such a framework, progress will continue to depend heavily on local capacity and short-term programmes. We recommend a cross-Government strategy to bring together health, education, local government and community policy around a shared objective: increasing physical activity and widening participation in both community and school sport.
The benefits are clear; the evidence is overwhelming. What is missing is urgency. Only a decisive national commitment—backed by stable funding, better facilities and a coherent, cross-government strategy—will deliver the active, healthier nation we need.
Read the full report below.
Responses