Sport: Team GB and ParalympicsGB

Rachel Taylor Excerpts

Thursday 10th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Taylor (North Warwickshire and Bedworth) (Lab)]

What a privilege and pleasure it is to follow the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), with whom, I am sorry to say, I share a preference for cream teas.

I am very proud to have one of the world’s best golf courses in my constituency—the Belfry. I was delighted to join those at the course recently at the British Open to talk about its work in encouraging young people into golf. I am privileged to co-chair the all-party parliamentary group for sport; I have taken over from my hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley (Kim Leadbeater). One of my aims will be to ensure that we work with sporting bodies and organisations to push for more people to become physically active, and for more people to be given the opportunity to enjoy playing sport in their local communities and at the highest level. We have had a brilliant summer of sport, with Team GB ending the Paris Olympics and Paralympics with more medals than ever. In my sport of tennis, which my hon. Friend the Member for Chesterfield (Mr Perkins) spoke about so eloquently, British players did so well at the US Open.

I am so proud of our Paralympic and Olympic athletes. They are role models and an inspiration to our young people. I also know, though, that each one of them will have been supported by an encouraging grassroots club or organisation. Without such clubs, accessible playing grounds and courts, and referees and coaches who encourage grassroots players to become professional athletes, we would not have the incredible set of athletes of whom the country is so proud. For that reason, I congratulate everyone who contributed to the success of our Paralympic and Olympic teams—the athletes, coaches, friends, families and officials.

Sport has incredible potential to open new doors for young people and break down barriers to opportunity. Every child should have the chance to find a sport that they enjoy, to thrive and grow in confidence, and to learn valuable teamworking skills. It is essential that sport forms a key part of a broad curriculum. Since 2011, the Youth Sport Trust has found that the number of hours of PE taught in secondary schools has fallen by 13%, but sport is not just important for young people and professional athletes; it is a way for adults to keep healthy, and to create friendships throughout their lives by watching and participating in it. That is why it is a massive concern that the latest Active Lives survey found that activity is less common in older people, women and those with a disability.

One third of adults in the UK do not meet the chief medical officer’s minimum requirements for physical activity levels. Almost a third of our children and young people are considered inactive, meaning that 2.3 million children and young people do less than 30 minutes of activity each week. Sport England has found that children and young people from the least affluent families remain the least active, and are falling further and further behind. Sport is a form of social mobility. It allows young people to build teamworking skills and relationships with people from all walks of life. The Government must ensure that children are able to access sport on the curriculum and in their local communities. That means investment in our local sports facilities, more lighting for outdoor facilities, and the renovation of old leisure centres such as the one in Atherstone in my constituency. I was delighted a couple of weeks ago to put spades in the ground for the new physical activity hub in Bedworth.

In my experience as a player of county-level tennis, I have seen how the LTA has ensured that a variety of tennis options are available for people of all abilities. That includes wheelchair tennis, tennis for those with learning disabilities and visually impaired and deaf people, and para-standing and walking tennis. Those modifications demonstrate how every sport can become more inclusive, so long as we encourage organisations to have inclusivity as their priority. As a line judge and umpire at grassroots level and at Wimbledon, I know all too well that we need committed volunteers at every level of sport, from our junior and local events through to the highest level of sport at international events. There has been a pathway of training and support for those giving up their time, and it is essential that we continue that. Yesterday was a sad day—to find out that line judges at Wimbledon were being replaced by machines. Hopefully my role in this House will not meet the same end.