Given the challenges we face to both mental and physical health in this country, and with the two being inextricably linked, it’s shocking that half of our taxpayer funded sports facilities are closed at evenings and weekends.
Which is why I was pleased to have the opportunity last week to hold a debate in the House of Commons and hear a robust response from the Minister on this issue.
The role sport plays in communities has been undervalued by governments of all stripes, yet we know that sport doesn’t only help develop the academic potential of young people, it also teaches life-skills such as team work, and the determination to overcome challenges – helping people to deal with the highs and lows of life.
Anyone who knows me will know that I’ve been banging on about this for a while, however since COVID this has only gotten worse, hitting the poorest communities hardest - who we know tend to be the least active but also have the least access to sports facilities.
A majority of these sports facilities are locked behind school gates, with a prime example being the sports centre at Manor Academy in Mansfield Woodhouse, that has been closed to the community since the start of the pandemic.
It’s not about pointing any fingers, because I understand why the trust would want to prioritise its funding for education, however 18 months on, their facilities are still inaccessible meaning North Notts Hockey Club has been homeless ever since.
Of course, I absolutely welcome the investment from government in building new sport and leisure facilities in places like Warsop, but these things are costly, tens-of-millions of pounds to develop and build, at the same time so many of our existing buildings are being under-utilised.
Surely it’s just common sense, quicker and cheaper to unlock these ‘hidden’ facilities.
It would require a small amount of admin, perhaps a single officer in each district to handle things like membership and access, and give local clubs the ability to make use of their sports halls and pitches.
It sounds simple, but the problem is there’s too much red tape, planning implications, questions around insurance and other bureaucracy preventing organisations from making this happen… And perhaps some organisations just don’t see it as a priority!
So that’s why I held this debate last week, to put to the government they need to be absolutely clear with those involved that they all have a responsibility to facilitate getting taxpayer funded sports facilities open for communities to use.
This is a levelling-up issue, as the most disadvantaged areas are also the least active and have the fewest facilities, so I was pleased to hear that the government is taking this seriously, including with funds to help schools get their facilities open for communities as much as possible.
Sport is such an important tool to tackle physical and mental health, it’s part of our social fabric, and it develops our young people in to capable adults with drive and resilience. I’ll keep campaigning on this issue, because more access to decent sports clubs and facilities changes lives.
