Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the impact of grassroots boxing clubs on local communities.

Supporting grassroots sport is a key government priority. We recognise the positive impact participating in sport can have on individuals’ wellbeing and the benefits sport clubs have on local communities.

The government believes that sport has the potential to transform lives and that participating in sports such as boxing can teach valuable life lessons, and we believe everyone should have access to these opportunities.

The majority of funding to grassroots sports projects is delivered through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England. Work is currently underway with Sport England to better evidence the impact of the projects they fund.

Since 2019, Sport England has invested more than £11 million into projects and schemes in boxing, including £55,000 of support to boxing clubs in the Bradford East constituency. Clubs can contact Sport England directly to understand what funding pots they are eligible for at https://www.sportengland.org/contact-us.

We appreciate the impact rising energy prices are having on organisations of all sizes including sport clubs such as boxing gyms. That is why we announced the £18 billion Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) in September last year. The EBRS was always time-limited, and has now been replaced with the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS). Under the EBDS, boxing clubs will continue to receive discounts on their gas and electricity bills during the 12-month period from April 2023 to March 2024.