Sport England facts for kids
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| Founded | 1996 |
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| Founder | Department for Culture, Media and Sport |
| Type | Non-departmental public body |
| Headquarters | Loughborough, United Kingdom |
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Area served
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England |
| Product | Funding |
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Key people
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Tim Hollingsworth, Chief Executive |
Sport England is a special organization in England that works with the government. It's like a public body that helps people get active and play sports.
Its main job is to build a strong sports system in communities. Sport England works with different sports groups and partners. They want more people to take part in sports and physical activities. They also try to remove things that make it hard for some people to be active. Plus, they help talented young athletes get better and reach top levels in their sport.
Chris Boardman is the current leader, or Chair, of Sport England.
Contents
What Sport England Does
Sport England started a long time ago in 1972. Back then, it was called The Sports Council. Over the years, its name changed a few times, and it became Sport England in 1999.
This organization is in charge of investing money, promoting sports, and helping more people in England get active. They also have an important role in protecting sports fields. If someone wants to build on a sports field, Sport England has to be asked for their opinion first.
Sport England gets its money from two main places: the government and the National Lottery. Every year, they invest up to £300 million. This money goes to projects and programs that help people play sports and be active.
Helping Everyone Get Active
Sport England has a big plan for the next 10 years called Uniting the Movement. This plan was published in January 2021. A key goal is to make sports fair for everyone. They want to help people and communities who need it most. They also work to remove any barriers that stop people from being active.
They do this by working with local groups called active partnerships all over England. They also team up with places where people are less active. They build relationships with local leaders and organizations to help make changes. Sport England also supports over 130 'system partners'. These include many national sports organizations and active partnerships.
In April 2024, Sport England made it easier for sports groups to get funding. They launched the Movement Fund. This is a single place where sports organizations, big or small, can apply for grants or crowdfunding help.
In May 2024, they launched their first plan to help the environment, called Every Move. This plan included £45 million from the National Lottery. This money helps the sports world deal with climate change.
Popular Campaigns and Resources
Sport England runs some well-known campaigns with lottery funding. One is the award-winning This Girl Can campaign, which started in 2015. It encourages women and girls to be active.
They are also part of Play Their Way, which focuses on coaching children in sports. Another campaign they support is We Are Undefeatable. This campaign helps people with long-term health conditions stay active.
In December 2023, Sport England launched Buddle. This is a helpful website with guides, tools, and resources for community sports clubs and groups. It helps them grow and succeed.
Sports Facilities and Design
Sport England encourages sports venues to improve their facilities. They have a program called SASP. This program helps venues become important centers for their sport. Sport England is also in charge of three big national sports centers: Bisham Abbey, Lilleshall, and Plas y Brenin.
Their Active Places website helps people find sports facilities anywhere in England. You can search using a map, by location, or find details about a specific place.
Sport England also has Active Design guidelines. These were first published in 2007. They help people design new buildings and areas in a way that encourages sports and physical activity. The guidelines have 10 principles, with the main one being activity for all. The newest version came out in 2023.
Sport England's Leaders
The leader of Sport England is called the Chair. Over the years, there have been several Chairs.
Richard Lewis became Chair on April 1, 2009. Later, Nick Bitel took over as chairman on April 22, 2013. The current Chair is Chris Boardman. He started his four-year term on July 22, 2021.
Logo and Branding
The Sport England logo is based on an older design. It comes from the 'sport for all' logo that was used starting in the 1970s.
See also
- Sport in England
