Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department plans to take to support local football facility plans to developing grassroots football facilities in West Berkshire.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to supporting grassroots football facilities across the UK, and is investing £123 million this year to achieve this. In England, this funding is delivered by the Football Foundation who use Local Football Facility Plans, developed in partnership with local clubs and councils, to plan their investment pipeline.
In West Berkshire specifically, Hungerford Recreation Ground Football Field has received funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25, which provided funding towards a changing pavilion upgrade.
The Football Foundation plan to work with local stakeholders to refresh Local Football Facility Plans, ensuring that the investment pipeline truly reflects locally-informed demand. Further plans for the refresh will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2024 to Question 11698 on Sports: Children, what steps she is taking to help ensure the adequacy of access to grassroots sports facilities for children under 12.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Our mission-led Government puts children and young people at the heart of our priorities. This includes breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child to access high-quality sport and physical activity, especially those who are less likely to be active. The Government’s clear ambition is for all children and young people to have the opportunity to get active in a way that suits them.
This Government recognises that grassroots sports facilities are central to communities up and down the country and is acting to support more children to get active wherever they live through the delivery of the £123 million Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in the number of closures of grassroots sports facilities on young children.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Every child should have the opportunity to play sports and do regular physical activity. Our mission-led Government puts children and young people at the heart of our priorities. This includes breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child to access high-quality sport and physical activity, especially those who are less likely to be active.
This Government recognises that grassroots facilities are at the heart of communities up and down the country and is acting to support more people to get active wherever they live through the delivery of the £123 million Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support grassroots sports.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.
The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.
The Government has also committed to continued funding for grassroots facilities, investing £123 million UK-wide via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme throughout 2024/25, working with our delivery partner the Football Foundation.