CEO Blog: June 2024
I trust you are enjoying this wonderful summer of athletics with so much inclusive activity taking place across England and overseas involving English Athletes.
Summer of sport
We are all no doubt looking forward to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris during July and August - but shouldn’t forget that at a domestic level we will witness a range of exciting inclusive competition involving some of our finest aspiring young track and field athletes. This includes the English Schools' Track and Field Championships, our own England Athletics National Championships, inaugural Club Relay Champs, the Manchester International and a newly introduced Under 20 International fixture being held in Windsor during August.
Thank you for all that you continue to do in providing opportunities for participants at all levels of our sport. It is hugely appreciated and valued by us all.
Influencing the next government
As we edge closer to the general election, I was delighted to see proactive campaigns launch last week through our friends at the Sport and Recreation Alliance and the Youth Sport Trust.
Influencing the next government to ensure that sport and physical activity (and of course athletics and running!) is at the heart of policy making moving forward is fundamentally important for a number of reasons. If you are like me, you inherently know the power of sport and physical activity to capture the nation’s imagination, but also to positively impact the mental and physical wellbeing of people whatever background, ability, or age. We have all seen it, felt it, and have been moved to tears through it. At England Athletics we see and feel this impact every day through the wonderful contributions of our volunteer-led athletics clubs and running clubs across the country. Our volunteers help create strong communities with a powerful sense of belonging and togetherness which engenders a wider social impact beyond individual health and wellbeing.
Sport in schools
The latest national PE and School Report shows a worrying decline in the mental wellbeing of young people, combined with declining levels of sport and physical activity. There is a wealth of evidence showing physically active children have better mental, physical and social wellbeing, improved self-belief and mental resilience, yet it seems counter intuitive that we should regard sport and physical activity any differently from maths, languages, or sciences in schools. Sadly, sport and physical activity remains all too often a nice to have and one of the first things that is cut when budgets are being reviewed and priorities are set. Which is why last year we, together with other grassroots bodies, called on government for sport and physical activity to play a more meaningful role in addressing this crisis.
Uniting communities and combatting discrimination
Sport and physical activity can and does help to unite communities, combat discrimination, address inequalities, strengthen the economy and reduce the burden on the NHS – a magic pill that can prevent rather than cure in so many ways. Yes, evidencing impact and causality is important but it is not an exact science and what you see, feel, and believe is inherently important too – sport and physical activity is vitally important to communities, families, and the nation.
Putting sport at the heart of government policy
It is time to press the accelerator and put sport and physical activity at the heart of government policy. The time for short termism is over – enshrine sport above and beyond petty party politics. A commitment to long term sustained investment from across government will help us to become the most active European nation and benefit generations to come. England Athletics is one of over 200 signatories for the #TakeTheLead campaign by the Sport and Recreation Alliance.
A positive impact
In closing, I would like to thank you all again for all that you continue to do for our great sport but also to positively impact wider society – whether you are a club volunteer, running group leader, technical official, coach, parent, carer, or facility provider, never underestimate the impact that your work has on people`s lives.
I hope you enjoy the coming weeks and months of track and field athletics both on the global stage and across England – I am sure that our competing athletes will be thankful for all your efforts and hard work that has contributed to each and every performance that we enjoy during the coming period.