Sports Polices

After the prolonged route towards distributing government policy schemes, the Central Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR) are then given responsibility to provide a range of services to 270 national governing and representative bodies.  CCPR are closely linked with the three national agencies, in which they all focus on promoting community programmes through sporting bodies.  All community programmes are delivered through the concern of DCMS’s Game Plan ‘a strategy for delivering Government’s sport and physical activity objectives’ document.

Published in December of 2002, the comprehensive document was produced jointly by the Government's Strategy Unit and the DCMS.  (Sport Development, 2007).  The Game Plan document concentrates on the social value of sports participation within the United Kingdom.  The Government’s vision and strategies for sport from both mass participation and performance perspective are extensively analysed up until 2020.  Producing strategies with clear and measurable aims, objectives and targets is the starting point of effective delivery and improvement. People need to know what they are seeking to achieve.

“Sport is a powerful and often under-used tool that can help Government to achieve a number of ambitious goals” (Blair. T, 2002) 

Whilst acknowledging the extensive amount of achievement and good practice that exists, Game Plan also reached a number of challenging conclusions about the state of UK sport today. These included:

• Sport lacks vision and a clear sense of direction
• Despite significant public investment in sport in recent years, participation levels are low and have remained static in comparison with other similar European countries and around the world
• Sport lacks a robust evidence base to support its case for continued and increased levels of public funding
• Sporting structures are confused and, in many cases, ineffective and inefficient
• There is a need for improved collaborative working between agencies at all levels.

(Sport England, 2002)

Although the strategies are clearly presented, some critics are questioning the Government’s commitment within certain areas. The Government’s vision and strategy towards performance sports and its value to society seems somewhat less devoted than other primary sections such as competitive sport and the interrogation of the value of sport.  Competitive sport and community sports participation within Great Britain are somewhat different at a purposeful level.  Competitive sport has been seen to promote difference and inequality, whereas community sport programmes are focusing more on inclusion and equality.  It may be a thought in future to have two separate policy documents as each is dissimilar in principle although related theoretically.  

The Game Plan document has symbolised a considerable milestone in UK sport policies.  It has been significant in providing a realisation for many national sport agencies with public funding distribution being a central concern.  The document has acted as a catalyst for the national awareness of important issues surrounding English sport.  It has created a stronger unity through all national sporting bodies and provided a comprehensive understanding of the Government’s vision until 2020.  

Other Government documents have also been published with the initial concern over social inclusion.  These include, the ‘Governments Plan for Sport’, 2002, ‘Building On PAT 10, Progress Report on Social Inclusion’ and DCMS’s ‘A Sporting Future for All’, 2000.  Through the implementation process of all Government policies, a proposal must first be delivered through the national Parliament.  The documents are referred to as White papers, as this is produced with the intention of setting out details for future policies. (Parliamentary Design Group, 2007) The White Papers allow the Government an opportunity to gather feedback before it is formally presented as a Bill.  After all initial stages of implementation are completed the progress will then be constantly monitored by the Physical Activity Cabinet Committee, Sports Cabinet and DCMS, although DCMS has overall responsibility to publish an annual report on its progress.  (DCMS, 2002)

Overall past strategies have often failed to have a lasting and measurable impact.  Once the strategies have been published they seem to act as no more than a reference document in which they become outdated.  DCMS must focus on making full potential through the Game Plan document and provide educated awareness to all national agencies through the sporting issues surrounding English sport in today’s society.

“In the past governments have had policies that tried to deal with each of these problems individually, but there has been little success at tackling the complicated links between them or preventing them from arising in the first place”. (Cabinet Office, Social Exclusion Unit leaflet, July 2000)

National Agencies’ Role

The three national agencies play a critical role in promoting sports participation across all groups and sections within society.  Sport England, UK Sport and the Youth Trust are constantly implementing community programmes to promote, invest and advise on the development and maintenance of quality sporting pathways which filter through: (Sport England, 2007)

• Community sports activities
• Sports clubs
• Coaches and officials
• Player pathways
• Volunteering
• Sports facilities.

Through this section, the essay will explain how and why a number of national agencies are responding to the Government’s vision through sport with ethnic minority groups as a primary focus.

“DCMS is determined that people from ethnic minorities should have the same access to a rich and varied cultural life as the majority” (Progress Report on Social Inclusion, 2001)

In 1996 the General Household Survey was published for the first time with the inclusion of ethnic origin.  The information produced stated black peoples’ participant rates within sport were closest to white patterns overall, although the most worrying statistics were the percentage of Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Indians who took part in regular exercise. (Patmore. A, 2003 p127) As seen on table 1.0, the figures of these three groups are substantially lower then the national average.  These patterns may be related to the household’s average income, although many other factors may hinder the ethnic group’s participation with physical exercise.

Table 1.0 Participation in sport 1999-2000 by ethnic group (percentage aged over 16 undertaking one or more sports/activities in last four weeks, excluding walking)

(Rowe and Champion, 2000)

Different policies are needed for different target groups.  The DCMS and other National agencies have published national policies in relation to social inclusion and Ethnic Minority groups.  These include:

• ‘Groups at Particular Risk of Social Exclusion’ (DCMS, 2002)
• ‘Progress Report on Social Inclusion, Building on PAT 10’ (DCMS, 2001)
• ‘Everybody Win Sport and Social Inclusion’ (CCPR, 2002)
• ‘Achieving Racial Equality, a Standard for Sport (Sporting Equals, 2000)

It is the responsibility of national agencies to be fully aware of such escalating issues and provide significant provision, programmes and funding within deprived communities. For example ‘Active Communities’ is a framework provided by Sport England in 2002.  The programme works with many organisations and agencies to assist local authorities to set up their own community programmes with the necessary funding provided by Sport England.  

The Sport England ‘Active Communities’ programme, has provided an ongoing community project within Bolton.  The location of the project involves a population of 20,000 residents of which 50% are of Asian origin. The scheme named ‘Pathways’, has provided positive opportunities for young people to create a diversion from anti-social behaviour and other ‘negative lifestyles. The programme, currently funded by the local council and Sport England Active Communities has produced a total figure adding up to £30,000 per annum.  (Active Communities, 2002) The programme has established free access to safe outdoor facilities in three wards as a method to engage local children to participate in sport effectively.  Unlike other ‘Active Communities’ projects, the sporting focus of Pathways has been on sports facility planning and development.  Once completed, the evaluation should provide a valuable source of information on the impact it’s had with youth crime and nuisance behaviour at local level.  

Sport England is constantly providing support to local community programmes with a vision of creating opportunities for every individual. Sport England is responsible for promoting and investing in sport, helping the government meet its sporting objectives and distributing both Lottery and Exchequer funds to sport. Sport England's mission statement emphasises their strategy too:  

 “Provide opportunities for more people to take part in sport, and to provide more places for people to play sport in their communities” (Sport England, 2007)

The National agencies’ are fully committed to create an active nation through sport.  They invest in a range of projects across the country through either two streams, Community and National. (Sport England 2007):

• At National Level, Sport England works with and invests in a range of national partners, including national governing bodies of sport, equity and volunteering.
• At community level, funding is called Community Investment Fund and is awarded through an open application process

Local government also has a significant role to play in promoting social justice and social inclusion within communities. The wider reform and improvement agenda for local government provides an important context for the role councils already play in promoting social inclusion. This agenda includes a renewed emphasis on:

• Consultation and involvement of local people;
• Delivering high quality services;
• Having a greater focus on strategic planning; and
• Working in partnership with other bodies.

(The Local Government Association, 1999)

Councils are experimenting with various methods of involving people in the decision making processes, and in many cases, are developing the skills of local people through capacity building programmes in order to involve all sections of the local community.

Local agencies are continuously trying to engage ethnic minority groups to participate within sport, but it’s not always down to the commitment of national bodies, the participants have to be motivated and supportive.  Arguments about race and ethnicity in sport can fall into three groups:

• Unequal treatment relates to and cannot be separated from the social deprivation of many ethnic groups
• Ethnic minority groups make different leisure choices from the ethnic majority population, reflecting different meaning and values
• Sport is a site of discrimination as much as other areas of life, emanating in poorer access to resources, expertise and power

(Collins.F.M and Kay.T, 2003, p130)

Overall many national agencies have realised the social exclusion issues surrounding British sport.  They are taking the right measures to ensure every individual has access to community programmes.  The national agencies are providing a service which will have an invaluable impact towards providing community benefits such as, health, education and social order.  

Benefits through Community programmes

It has been widely known that taking part in physical exercise will essentially provided personal and community benefits.  

“Important evidence suggests that participating in sporting activities increases people’s sense of integration into their local community, in both urban and rural areas”. (Best Value through sport, Executive Summary, Sport England, 1999)

Physical activity is widely accepted as being beneficial to health.  The Department of Health has an objective to narrow the health gap in childhood and throughout life between socio-economic groups and between the most deprived areas and the rest of the country.  (A New Commitment to Neighbourhood Renewal, 2001).  Community programmes are crucial linked with health benefits.   For example the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) develops schemes through its clubs, local authorities and schools.  The association runs various programmes to engage different ethnic groups.  One case study was implemented within Bradford, with research stating that a high proportion of primary school pupils took part in swimming well below the national average.  The scheme was developed to provide health benefits given the high propensity for heart disease amongst Asian population.  Other additional benefits community programmes will provide include, helping stress management, human development, improve academic performance and provided a positive lifestyle.  (CCPR, 2002)

There are also strong theoretical arguments for the potentially positive contributions that sport can make to reduce the propensity by young people to commit crime. Crucially, sport is at its most effective when combined with programmes that address issues of personal and social development.  Successful programmes require a variety of other support mechanisms to be in place (Cabinet Office, 2002).  ‘Get Hooked on Angling’ is a scheme run between CCPR and Durham Police designed to provided young people with social exclusions issues, to go for free angling.  The scheme aims to promote social inclusiveness and dissuades young people from anti-social behaviour.  Other community programmes are said to strengthen communities, reduce alienation, promote ethnic harmony and create access for the disadvantage. (Collions.F.M and Kay.T p96, 2003)

The Sports Councils’ ‘Black and Ethnic Minorities, Sport Policy and Objectives’ document, sets clear objectives to increase the education standard within ethnic communities.  This included:

• Objective 3: To increase the number of black and ethnic personnel in organisations and to encourage them to reach senior positions.  (Sports Council, 1994)

The Social Exclusion Unit has examined the causes of unemployment and the effect it has on other areas of life such as health, housing and well-being.  They are currently running community projects such as ‘Jobs and enterprise in deprived areas’.  Other community programmes include Sport England’s scheme in Southwark.  The project is targeted at 11-15 year olds to improve school behaviour and attendance.  Other community benefits within local schemes include:

• Building Safe, Strong communities and strengthen community involvement
• Meeting the needs of children and young people, diverting away from anti-social behaviour
• Building healthier communities through the promotion of physical exercise
• Improve economic vitality of a local area, transforming the environment and developing the workforce.

(English Sports Council, 2006) 

Overall Sport England funds projects that help people get involved in sport and physical activity. This includes refurbishing existing facilities or building new ones and developing programmes and initiatives that use sport and activity to support community cohesion, improve health and raise education levels.  Equity underpins the basic premise of Sport England's work. The power of sport to engage, unite and motivate people, break down barriers, promote social inclusion and improve health makes it essential that all sporting organisations in England ensure equal status and opportunities to all members of our communities.

“Sport can make a unique contribution to tackling social exclusion in our society”.  (A Sporting Future for All, DCMS, 2000)

Conclusion

The policy process is part crucial in ensuring documents are produced with clear strategies, measurable aims, objectives and targets.  This acts as a starting point to an effective delivery and improvement.  National Agencies need to be fully aware of the Governments vision and strategies.   DCMS’s Game plan document ‘A strategy for delivering the government’s sport and physical activity objectives’ (2002) provides a realisation for all National agencies to be fully aware of the issues surrounding UK sport today.

There is already clear evidence that voluntary sector sport and recreation, already contributes greatly to social and economic regeneration. CCPR believes that the key to sustaining this contribution lies largely in removing barriers to continued participation and volunteering.

Social exclusion cannot be addressed by government alone. Individuals and the wider community, in addition to the private and third sectors, all have a role to play. But most of all, people who are suffering social exclusion must want progress for themselves and those around them. By working together we can ensure that even the most excluded have a stake in the society and economy of tomorrow by seizing the opportunities that life in the UK offers today.

Overall the schemes and programmes set through national agencies provided numerous community benefits ensuring a higher quality of life.  If the Government continue their responsibility towards constantly monitoring the progress of sport policies, the UK should feel the impact affects sport provides every community for years to come.  

Figure 1.1

(www.sportsdevlopment .org.uk 2002

Figure 1.2

References:

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Coalter.F, (2005) The Social Benefits of Sport: An overview to Inform the Community Planning Process, University of Stirling, Institute for Sports Research.

Collins F.M and Kay.T, (2003), Sport and Social Exclusion, London : Routledge

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (2001) Building on PAT 10, Progress Report on Social Inclusion

Department for Culture, Media and Sport (1999), Groups at particular risk of social exclusion, Policy Action Team.

Houlihan.B (1997), Sport, Policy and Politics: a comparative Analysis, London : Routledge

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