Sport sector warns of 'lost generation' without emergency government bailout

Leaders from across more than 100 British sports and governing bodies have warned Boris Johnson that sport is facing a potential “lost generation” without an emergency recovery fund.

While the arts sector received a £1.57 billion bailout in July, sport and leisure has received no dedicated package from central government and numerous facilities and clubs, from the professional elite all the way down to the grass roots, risk permanent closure.

Almost half of all public leisure facilities were unable to reopen when lockdown measures were eased in July and 6,000 permanent and casual jobs in the sector have already been made redundant or ceased to exist.

The letter to the prime minister, which was written by Baroness Grey-Thompson, the chair of ukactive, and signed by the chief executives of the Football Association, the England & Wales Cricket Board, the Premier League, the Lawn Tennis Association, the Rugby Football Union and UK Athletics, warns of dire consequences without urgent assistance.

“Covid-19 has undermined our commercial revenue streams with both stadia and leisure facilities closed or greatly reduced in capacity,” says the letter. “The impact of this will potentially lead to a lost generation of sport and activity. We are particularly concerned about the impact on those whose participation has been limited during the pandemic. Physical activity levels, especially in the most vulnerable groups, are significantly below where they were tracking pre-Covid-19. This is at a time when the Government has committed to levelling up outcomes and opportunities across the country.”

As well as engaging millions of people every year, the sports leaders told Johnson that the sector drives economic prosperity and social change, contributing over £16 billion and employing more than 600,000 people. Its social value was estimated at more than £72 billion. They want a “comprehensive support package” in the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review which combines investment, tax incentives and regulatory reform.

Exact figures have not been publicly outlined but an £800 million request to sustain public gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools to next March was also made last month. It has been estimated that 48 per cent of public leisure facilities are at risk of closure, including 1,300 by the end of the year.

“We are united in our concern that at a time when our role should be central to the nation’s recovery, the future of the sector is perilous,” says the letter. “Covid-19 has exposed the fragility of vital services and assets, with sports clubs and fitness facilities facing permanent closure, depriving local communities of facilities and programmes on which they depend.

“By placing sport and physical activity now at the heart of our nation’s renewal and using it to drive new ambitions for health and wellbeing, we can create a strong, prosperous, resilient, and healthy nation for generations to come.”

After being shut down between March and July - and then only coming back after pubs and restaurants - the grass-roots sports and leisure sector believes that it has proved that it can operate in a way that sufficiently mitigates the risk of spreading Covid-19. The warning, however, of a potential major second wave of Covid-19 infections has led to fears that recreational sport and leisure will again be curtailed. Indoor sports are expected to be particularly scrutinised, as are outdoor activities that attract large numbers of participants and close contact.

Sports minister Nigel Huddleston specifically addressed the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s annual conference on Monday and, in comments that have encouraged the sector, stressed the importance of keeping facilities open. “We need sport now more than ever - sport and physical activity are crucial to both our physical and mental health - both of which have been tested by this pandemic,” he said. “We need the country to get match-fit to beat Covid. Too many facilities have been unable to open.  We need them to open.”

The government has already announced the Income Guarantee Scheme, which aims to support a number of local authorities who have incurred irrecoverable loss of income during coronavirus. Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund has also provided £210 million of support to community sports. “Without this support, they simply would not have survived,” said Huddleston.