Tag: Stuart Andrew

The speech made by Stuart Andrew, the Sports Minister, in Birmingham on 8 April 2024.

Good afternoon. I would first like to start by thanking the President of SportAccord, Ugur Erdener, for hosting.

It doesn’t feel like it is already two years since this wonderful city, alongside the wider West Midlands region, hosted the record-breaking Commonwealth Games.

Hosting Sport Accord today – alongside all the other amazing events that Birmingham has planned – just demonstrates the power of sporting events.

The power to bring people together, to instil pride in communities and to have an impact long after the final whistle.

I want to thank you all for the important work that you do with your organisations to promote sport at every level.

We know that sport contributes to physical and mental wellbeing, reduces loneliness and provides economic benefits.

The UK has a fantastic reputation as a host of major events, and we must use these to inspire future generations.

I, like many others, was inspired by the success of the Lionesses at EURO 2022 and the FIFA World Cup 2023.

And DCMS honoured their success with £25 million of government funding for the Lionesses Futures Fund,designed to increase access for women and girls.

The UK Government remains committed to building our reputation for hosting major events, and it is important that we continue to host sporting events that inspire the next generation and build lasting memories.

We have some magnificent sportspeople, and world-leading experts, who organise and deliver these events to be enjoyed across the globe.

I saw first hand at the Rugby League World Cup the unique impact that sporting events can have on communities – using sport to reach people across the UK.

This includes not only the mega events we have in the coming years, such as the Rugby World Cup 2025, the men’s and women’s T20 Cricket World Cups in 2026 and 2030, UEFA EURO 2028 across the whole of the UK and Ireland, and of course the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham in 2026 – but also events like the West Midlands Urban Sports event in Wolverhampton later this year.

Today I am proud to announce the significant economic and social benefits delivered by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at ‘one year on’.

An incredible 6.9 million people engaged with this event in 2022, including spectators, athletes, volunteers and employees. The event delivered approximately £1.2 billion Gross Value Added to the UK economy, with nearly half that in the West Midlands alone, creating thousands of jobs in this region.

In addition, the Games has contributed nearly £80 million in social value, with well over £150 million more expected to be generated longer term. This is a result of the skills and apprenticeships delivered through Games programmes, alongside community use of Games facilities at the revamped Alexander Stadium and the wonderful Sandwell Aquatics Centre.

I am also delighted to see the £70 million ‘Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund’ continuing to reinvest in projects for communities across the region – including in support of Sport Accord.  This fund provides a welcome boost to ensure the Games legacy continues to be felt in this region and beyond for many years to come.

It is clear that mega sporting events can have truly transformational impacts on individuals, communities and host nations, and it is vital that we continue to support them in the years ahead.

As we look to the future, I am extremely excited to build our pipeline into the 2030s and beyond. Our revised UK hosting strategy sets us on that clear path.

It is so important to make sure that as we look to the future, we are innovative. I am grateful to all the work of those here today in making that happen.

I wish you all the best for a successful event over the coming days.

The speech made by Stuart Andrew, the Gambling Minister, at Guildhall Yard in London on 29 February 2024.

Thank you for the introduction, Cath, and good morning everyone.

It’s a pleasure to be speaking with you, on this extra day of the year.

It seems apt to mention that today is also the final day of Payroll Giving Month

And I would encourage us all to consider this fantastic, tax-efficient way of donating to charity directly from your pay or pension.

Giving is in the DNA of this country

And the UK is rightly acknowledged as a world leader in philanthropy.

We know we are one of the most generous countries in the world – the record £12.7 billion given by the public in 2022 is a phenomenal amount.

We know we have a proud tradition of philanthropy, but there is nonetheless plenty of room for growth.

As the Minister for Civil Society, I am acutely aware of how central giving is to our communities and charities across the country.

It’s something I also saw first-hand from my early career in the charitable sector.

It’s not just across civil society that I have seen the transformative role that philanthropy plays.

Philanthropy is integral to everything we do in DCMS.

In sport, fundraising has been fundamental in delivering programmes which seek to deliver social outcomes through participation in sport and physical activity.

In arts and heritage, philanthropy sustains our most beloved institutions – our museums, heritage sites, and performing arts venues.

Our partnership with the Wolfson Foundation has played a major role here.

As has our work with Arts Council England to support arts and cultural organisations to develop their fundraising skills and capacity to attract more private investment.

The Cultural Gifts and Acceptance In Lieu scheme, meanwhile, has meant treasures such as Tolkien’s manuscripts in Oxford.

Or the archives of children’s author Judith Kerr in Newcastle.

Have permanent homes and are made accessible to the public.

I know philanthropy is not just of critical interest to DCMS.

Multiple departments are recognising the value of private capital for the public sector.

The Office for Investment, a joint unit between No.10 and the Department for Business and Trade, has created a new concierge service for high value transformational philanthropic capital.

Its objective is to increase giving from international donors, in the same manner that it does with inward investment.

The lead official, Heather Davenport, is here today so please do speak with her to discuss this important topic.

Spearheaded by the Secretary of State, DCMS is taking the lead role in coordinating efforts across Whitehall to foster a better operating environment for philanthropy in the UK.

The Secretary of State spoke on this recently at an event I know many of you were able to attend, for the launch of the Onward report.

She spoke about how we are committed to helping more people give and helping people give more.

I want to reiterate the three core areas that she mentioned that we can accelerate across Government.

Firstly, we want to better enable philanthropy and ensure the UK continues to be a good place to give.

This includes helping people understand how they can give.

We are working with the Financial Conduct Authority, wealth management firms and the Treasury to explore the possibility of providing greater philanthropy training for financial advisors.

There is already some innovation in this space, with CFA Society UK recently launching their Certificate in Impact Investing.

This provides investment professionals with the information they need to advise their clients on how their capital can have greater social and environmental impact.

Alongside this, my officials are collaborating with HMRC to consider how the tax environment affects philanthropy, and are engaging with them on their potential work to digitalise Gift Aid.

Complementing this work, we are continuing to support the growth and development of the social impact investing market, which delivers benefits to society alongside financial returns.

We’re working with large scale investors, such as pension funds, to achieve the change we are looking for.

We are also focused on unlocking the huge potential of Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs).

These regional lenders provide affordable loans in the UK’s most disadvantaged places.

Steps like these can make a huge difference for setting in place the right infrastructure across the country for both philanthropy and impact investing.

Secondly, we want to encourage more philanthropy, particularly at a regional level.

One example is West London Zone, a social outcomes partnership where philanthropic money is blended with national and local spend that only pays when measurable outcomes are achieved.

Partly funded by DCMS, it has made a significant difference to children and young people’s life chances.

Yet we know that philanthropy is still primarily concentrated in London and the south.

So we want to explore how similar models could potentially be developed around the country that can maximise social impact.

Can better reach marginalised communities, and can involve people of all backgrounds.

The sharing of expertise is central to encouraging people to donate.

Peer influence also makes a huge difference – one-third of wealthy donors report donating after being encouraged by friends or family.

So we want to help bring together established philanthropists, and high net worth individuals, with the next wave of budding donors

Who are socially conscious and want to make an impact.

People like Sir Lewis Hamilton, who has given £20 million to create his charity Mission 44

And empower young people from underserved communities and diverse backgrounds.

This leads me onto our third area of focus, of fully recognising how philanthropy transforms lives and communities.

We’re seeing how alive and kicking philanthropy is in Stoke-on-Trent, for example

Where philanthropists of all levels of giving are making a difference.

From Denise Coates, who has donated millions towards projects in the city, including £10 million to University Hospitals of North Midlands during the pandemic

To 23-year-old Matthew Bridger, who created his own foundation to provide grants for Stoke charities helping vulnerable people.

Matthew was recognised earlier this year through the Prime Minister’s daily Points of Light award

Which recognises the exceptional service people give to their communities.

We want to celebrate more people who give through awards like these, especially through the Honours system

And I encourage you all to nominate worthy candidates.

We also want to champion campaigns and events that highlight the impact of giving.

So we want to help lead this conversation.

But the Government cannot, and should not, drive this alone.

To enable philanthropy, there are key evidence gaps we still need to understand.

We need high net worth individuals and impact investors to play an active role.

We need to be hearing from those making a difference with their giving, for us to amplify their voices.

And so we also want to learn from you and listen.

Today’s forum provides a perfect opportunity for this.

As the name suggests, Beacon has been shining a light for many years now on the potential for philanthropists to unlock many of the challenges we face today

bringing together those with a shared social purpose, and the means to drive investment towards the places that need this most.

I know there will be many rich conversations over the course of today

Because there is a real buzz around philanthropy right now

And, as you have said, Cath, a real sense of hope, in what we can achieve together

There is an opportunity to capitalise on the kindness of the British public and help make their gifts go further

To help our charities and communities stay resilient and sustainable

To allow our world-leading sport, creative and cultural sectors to continue to flourish

So with that in mind, thank you again for inviting me to speak to you.

I wish you a very successful day ahead and I look forward to continuing to work closely with the philanthropy sector to help it grow to its full potential.

The speech made by Stuart Andrew, the Gambling Minister, on 29 February 2024.

Good morning everyone, and thank you for the invitation to speak today.

Before I begin, I would like to say thank you to Brigid for all your work during your time as Chair of the BGC. We appreciate the constructive and considered input you and the BGC have provided to my department’s work, not just during my time as Minister but throughout your tenure.

Last year my predecessor spoke of the important contributions BGC members make to our national economy. I would like to again recognise this contribution, not just in revenue terms, but also the social and entertainment benefits your businesses bring to millions of customers who enjoy gambling and suffer no harm at all. Throughout my time as minister, and as an MP, I have seen how this industry boosts both local and national economies through jobs and tourism.

A lot has happened since your last AGM, I think that is a bit of an understatement. In April last year we published the White Paper, setting out 62 proposals that will ensure our gambling laws are fit for the modern age and I am absolutely aware of just how much hard work this has required from the BGC and its members, as well as my department and the Gambling Commission. I would therefore like to put on record my thanks to you all for your cooperation, your engagement and help in developing the proposals, as well as your hard work to begin their implementation over the last 10 months.

I know that Michael is sick of the sight of me given that we meet almost every week but I have found that engagement really valuable.

I would now like to provide you with an update on our programme of work and ensure you have clarity on the direction of travel.

As you will all be aware, our White Paper strikes a balance between consumer freedom – preserving the rights of those who enjoy gambling and suffer no ill-effects – with the necessary action to tackle harmful gambling and the devastating consequences it can have for some individuals and communities.

It includes a comprehensive range of measures that covers every aspect of the industry, reflecting the huge changes in the gambling landscape since 2005. Around half of the proposals in the White Paper have now been consulted on or have been completed.

During Monday’s debate I made reference to the white paper consultations. I make no apologies for emphasising the importance of the consultations undertaken by the Government and the Gambling Commission. They have given us invaluable evidence to inform policy making. They ensure that the measures are robust, proportionate, and in line with the White Paper’s objectives. And they show that the Government is listening to your views and evidence.

I would like to focus the rest of my time today on the announcements made last week by DCMS and the Gambling Commission on our work on online gambling measures.

You will have seen that last Friday we confirmed the introduction of stake limits for online slot games. Bringing in limits for the first time is a key step in ensuring the regulatory framework is fit for the digital age. Our aim is not to prohibit play, but to embed best practice that many of you already do.

We are confident that the limits of £5 for over 25s and £2 for 18 to 24 year olds represents a proportional response. It will see online slots aligned with casino limits and will ensure customers are further protected from unaffordable and life-changing losses.

As set out in the consultation response, these limits will come into force in September this year and have the support of industry.

We are confident that this is an important step forward in ensuring that the vast majority of people who gamble safely can continue to do so, but that enhanced protections are in place for those who may suffer harm.

Turning to financial risk checks, the Gambling Commission confirmed last week that they will be proceeding with these proposals. I am sure you hear more on this from Andrew Rhodes later today, but their plans include both the light-touch financial vulnerability checks and the enhanced financial risk assessments.

The financial vulnerability checks are intended to be introduced in two stages over the course of this summer. Responding to feedback received through the consultation, the Commission has reassured everyone that they will never require gambling businesses to consider an individual’s personal details, such as their postcode or job title, as part of the checks.

To ease the introduction of these checks, they will initially come into force at a higher threshold for a short period of time, before reverting to a lower threshold later in the year. We expect this lower threshold to be closely aligned with that proposed in the white paper.

I know that some of your members have concerns with the proposed system of checks. I would like to reiterate that both the Government and the Gambling Commission are listening, because we genuinely we want to get this right.

We are clear that financial risk checks should not overregulate the gambling sector, should not unduly disrupt the millions of people who gamble without suffering harm, and should not cause unnecessary damage to the industry.

The proposed system will be a significant improvement to the current system of inconsistent so-called ‘affordability’ checks, which are often onerous for customers to complete. It will provide clear and proportionate rules which all operators are held to, and allow for financial data to be shared seamlessly with operators, instead of burdening customers with information requests.

I have been clear that these checks should be genuinely frictionless – one of my first discussions with officials on taking on the gambling brief was around how we would deliver this – and the White Paper was clear that they will not be implemented until we can guarantee that they are.

To ensure these checks are implemented in an effective but proportionate manner the Gambling Commission has announced it will conduct a pilot over the coming months. I am pleased that the pilot will involve collaboration between the Commission, credit reference agencies and a selection of gambling businesses to ensure that the process of an assessment is effective. The sector’s involvement gives me confidence that we will be able to find a solution that everyone can support.

We are therefore grateful for the input of BGC members into this pilot to ensure it is a meaningful test of the policy. The Commission will consider all issues that arise during the pilot stage – and are clear that this will help refine the final requirements and the models for data-sharing. I, and the Government, are supportive of the evidence-led and consumer-centred approach being proposed during this pilot.

But until these checks are fully in place, it is essential that the industry is more transparent with its customers.

An industry-led code is an important stepping stone while frictionless checks are piloted. It will mitigate the impact of customers having to provide documentation, while we develop this new, frictionless system of checks.

I know that discussions are ongoing between the Commission and industry, and I really would urge all parties to come to an agreement on this code as soon as possible for the benefit of customers.

I would now like to turn briefly to horse racing and the concerns about the impact of financial risk checks on the sport. I want to reassure you again that we have heard these concerns and take them very seriously.

I have met with the British Horseracing Authority and the Betting and Gaming Council several times as we conduct our review of the Horserace Betting Levy, which is due by April this year.

As there is currently no legislative opportunity to amend the levy, I have encouraged the betting and racing industries to work together on a voluntary deal. I am very grateful for the constructive manner in which those negotiations have taken place. We said in the White Paper that we will ensure that racing is appropriately funded going forward, and I am confident that agreement can be reached which is mutually beneficial and is in the best interests of the sport.

I am grateful for the work which operators have undertaken with the Gambling Commission to explore the practical aspects of implementing these checks. We want to protect those at risk of harm – something that I make no apologies for – but with minimal disruption to the majority, who I recognise bet on horse racing with no ill effect.

We know that British racing is a substantial asset to the country. We remain committed to supporting the industry to prosper, and I am confident that the way in which these checks will be implemented will not prevent that from happening.

I know you will be keen to understand what is coming next in the pipeline.

We will publish our consultation responses on land-based gambling measures and the statutory levy in the coming months, and will lay secondary legislation to bring measures into force across all relevant areas as soon as parliamentary time allows. Nonetheless, I am absolutely determined to ensure that we deliver on our commitment to bring key measures into force by the summer of this year.

Thank you again for inviting me to speak today, and giving me this opportunity to update you on our programme of reform. As we look to conclude work on our key proposals I hope I have demonstrated to you that we will continue to listen, we will test, and we will adapt our approach as this fast-moving industry develops and I thank you for that continued engagement.

The speech made by Stuart Andrew, the Minister for Sport on 20 February 2024.

Thank you for inviting me here today, it is fantastic to see so many people here today who have a passion for women’s sport.

I want to take this opportunity to tell you about the work the Government has been doing to ensure that women’s sport continues to thrive and to reiterate our commitment to supporting women’s sport at every opportunity – pushing for greater participation, employment, commercial opportunities, and visibility in the media.

The Lionesses’ success at the EUROs helped make 2022 a landmark year for women’s sport, with the country winning its first major football trophy since 1966.

Their journey to the final of the UEFA World Cup in 2023 continued to ignite unprecedented interest in the women’s game.

This has clearly inspired many women and girls to take up the sport. The proof is in the stats – recent BBC analysis shows that there are now twice as many registered female football teams in England as there were just seven years ago.

In September 2022, we commissioned Karen Carney to lead the Independent Review of Women’s Football.

The Review, published in July 2023, was brave and unapologetic in its demand for change.

It identified ten strategic recommendations that should be implemented to help create a sustainable future for women’s football.

Our response, published at the end of 2023, sets out the Government’s continued support for the delivery of these recommendations.

We see this as an opportunity to transform women’s football into a world-leading sport that not only creates significant economic and social benefits, but also raises the minimum standards for women’s sports on an international scale.

To ensure momentum and delivery remains a priority, the Government will be convening an implementation group with all stakeholders responsible for delivering recommendations within the Review.

The first meeting is scheduled for March 2024 and will ensure mutual accountability amongst stakeholders.

The ambition has always been for the Review’s recommendations to go beyond women’s football and to apply to women’s sport more broadly.

With this in mind, and following the recommendation in the Review, the Government will be convening a Board of Women’s Sports with industry leaders, academics and National Governing Bodies.

This group will connect leaders from across women’s sports – building a shared vision to support women and girls in sport and looking at existing and future opportunities to help women’s sport continue to grow.

Women’s sport will be a highlight at the Olympic and Paralympic events in Paris this year.

Paris 2024 will be the first Olympics in history to achieve numerical gender parity on the field of play, with the same number of female and male athletes participating in the largest sporting event in the world.

To help increase the visibility of women’s sport we will continue to support and champion the UK’s hosting of major women’s sporting events.

The UK has an excellent international reputation in hosting major sporting events – with these events delivering benefits for the whole country.

Future events include both the 2025 Rugby World Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup, which I am pleased to say will both be held in England.

This is all good news but we recognise that a number of challenges remain.

Building a strong evidence base through data is a top priority for DCMS – helping to ensure the impact of sport and physical activity is articulated clearly so that we can see what interventions are needed to get specific groups active.

The recent Active Lives Children and Young People Survey tells us that boys are more likely to be active than girls.

Women in Sport’s latest impact report shows that girls as young as five years old don’t feel they belong in sport and that 1.3 million girls who used to love sport disengage as teenagers.

Statistics like these are precisely why tackling disparities in participation levels is such a key part of our sport strategy, to ensure there is an inclusive offer for all.

Published in August last year, our sport strategy – Get Active, sets out the long-term strategic policy direction for the sector. Our aim is to see 1.25 million more active women in England by 2030.

Our focus is on establishing a lifetime of engagement with sport, supporting the sector to be welcoming to all, and ensuring the sector is prepared for future challenges and opportunities.

This includes our ambition to provide the infrastructure and conditions needed to get as many women and girls involved in sport.

As part of the sport strategy, we also launched the National Physical Activity Taskforce. The Taskforce connects government departments with the sector and independent experts, to focus on measurable actions that will get an additional 3.5 million people active.

The Taskforce will ensure that we continue to tackle disparities in participation levels by promoting women’s and disability sport; by championing diversity; and by focussing on helping those who have the most to gain from getting active.

And there are a number of initiatives which are encouraging more women and girls to be active, such as Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign.

The campaign aims to eliminate fear of judgement. Sport England’s latest data shows that just over 3 million women said they increased their sport and physical activity levels as a result of the campaign. In addition, almost 1.5 million women say they started or restarted physical activity.

Sport England have also developed the Studio You PE teaching resource which aims to get young girls engaged in PE lessons. The platform offers video-based lessons covering a range of non-traditional activities, like boxing, dance, pilates and yoga.

In order to allow more women and girls to access more opportunities to be active, we are also investing over £600 million in school sport across the next two academic years.

This investment will help deliver girls’ equal access to opportunities to play sport and do physical activity.

We are also investing over £320 million into grassroots football and multi-sport facilities across the UK by 2025.  This will further support women and girls to get active. And all projects in England need to have a clear women and girls plan to receive funding.

And we’ve committed to go further still. In November last year, the Government announced it is investing £25 million alongside £5 million from the English Football Association, to create a new Lionesses Futures Fund.

This fund is expected to deliver up to 30 state-of-the-art 3G artificial grass pitches across England, providing gold-standard provision for women and girls, with reserved peak-time slots, women and girls only evenings and priority bookings for female teams.

It is vital that everyone participating in sport feels safe and secure and that where allegations of inappropriate or harmful behaviour are made, these are taken seriously.

UK Sport, Sport England and the Government have already taken significant steps to improve safeguarding in sport, including the revision of standards and protections for children in sport, the piloting of an independent complaints and disclosure system for elite sport, and the strengthening of positions of trust legislation.

We welcome the recent announcement by UK Sport and Sport England to improve safeguarding in sport, following on from the recommendations of the Whyte Review into gymnastics.

We will continue working alongside the sport and physical activity sector to identify the most pressing integrity challenges and potential improvements, including how processes around complaint handling and dispute resolution can be strengthened.

We ran a call for evidence last autumn as a vital first step in this process. We wanted to hear how the current systems for handling concerns in sport work, and how these could be strengthened.

We hope to publish the results of this exercise soon.

We also know that one area that is attracting a lot of debate at the moment is the issue of transgender participation in sport.

We want to ensure that everybody in this country has the opportunity to play and enjoy sport.

Where sex does have an impact on the fairness of competitive women’s sport, domestic governing bodies and international federations must provide clear direction to protect the integrity of women’s sport.

A way forward is needed that protects and shows compassion to all athletes, whilst being clear that the integrity of competition must be maintained.

I will continue to engage with sports on this issue to understand what work national governing bodies are doing to protect women’s sport.

In terms of media coverage, it is fantastic to see elite women’s sport getting better coverage. Recent data published by the Women’s Sport Trust shows that major international women’s sporting events, such as the Football World Cup and the Solheim Cup, as well as women’s cricket and rugby are continuing to drive record-breaking audience figures.

In terms of investment, I am delighted to see that we are continuing to see record deals struck.

The Department for Business and Trade has launched a Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator scheme. The scheme is providing a series of sessions offering market insights, connections and networking events alongside comprehensive mentoring for rights holders who are looking for investment.

However, we know there is more to do to drive up audience figures and to build the case for further investment in women’s sport.

Turning to governance, I am pleased that the strengthened Code for Sports Governance requires National Governing Bodies in receipt of significant public funding to agree a detailed and ambitious diversity and inclusion action plan with Sport England and UK Sport.

Perhaps most importantly though, as Minister for Sport and Equalities, I am committed to creating an environment where women and girls feel safe and encouraged to be involved in sport in any capacity.

I am hugely concerned about the effect that targeted online abuse can have on women and girls in sport.

No-one should work in an environment where this behaviour is accepted, everyone should be treated with the respect they deserve.

I want to take this opportunity to reassure you that we, as Government, take this behaviour very seriously. And I am personally committed to doing all I can to stamp out discrimination of any kind in sport.

In conclusion, it is our ambition to increase participation, visibility and investment in women’s sport as highlighted in our strategy.

These three interconnected areas together will help to create system-wide change.

As I mentioned at my recent Select Committee appearance, I also want to take this opportunity to pay thanks to the heroes up and down the UK – the women and girls who volunteer day in, day out to help their communities engage in sport and physical activity.

Not only do they contribute massively to sport, but they also help target important wider issues such as loneliness. Thank you to you all.

I look forward to continuing to work with you all to ensure that all aspects of women’s sport continue to flourish.

The speech made by Stuart Andrew, the Sports Minister, in London on 1 February 2024.

The speech made by Stuart Andrew, the Sports Minister, on 13 June 2023.

Thank you for inviting me to your event today and apologies that I can not be there in person.

This government is committed to increasing access to opportunities for sport and physical activity, particularly for children and young people.

School sport is a key part of a child’s development journey, with that first encounter with sport being truly transformative.

It’s where they learn about themselves, build resilience and understand the importance of practice and persistence.

Part of that includes being given opportunities to compete and excel, part of it is nurturing the habit of being up and active.

That is why earlier this year in March, the Government announced a £600 million package to boost opportunities in and outside of school.

This included the confirmation of funding for the PE and Sport Premium and School Games Organisers programmes over the next two academic years.

And outlining our desire for schools to offer a minimum of two hours of curriculum PE and equal opportunities for girls and boys.

Continuing to support the School Games Organiser Programme and the great work you do is a priority for me.

We want to ensure that all children, regardless of their background, have the chance to be active and to get the best start in life.

You all play a vital role in creating these opportunities

But more importantly you understand how best to reach these communities and the their particular needs

We highly value the work the School Games network is doing to strengthen links locally and identifying key partners to coalesce around a shared focus on physical activity.

As a network, you possess the best knowledge about what the real challenges are for children and what works most effectively at a local level.

So I want to say a huge thank you for all the work you do.

Moving forward, we will shortly be publishing a new sport strategy that will set the long term strategic policy direction for sport in the country.

This new strategy will build on the success of the previous strategy, Sporting Future,

And will have a specific focus on addressing inactivity levels, the barriers that stop people from participating in sport and making the sector more sustainable for the future.

A healthier nation relies on tackling the low levels of children’s participation in sport and physical activity.

To do this, we must ensure that we support all young people to enjoy being active, make sport sociable and improve access to opportunities.

We have already made important strides in this area with our recent funding announcement and the role of programmes such as the Opening School Facilities programme.

But there is a continued need to go further and our strategy will set out our plans to do so.

To sum up, the government wants to see more children physically active

That means having a positive school sport experience, having opportunities in their local community to be active and ultimately having the confidence to throw themselves into it, in whatever form that takes!

School Games Organisers are a crucial part in achieving our ambitions and I thank you again for all that you do to support children up and down the country.