We sign open letter to the Secretary of State
Organisations within the sport sector, including Dallaglio RugbyWorks, have signed an open letter to the Secretary of State calling for confirmation that the Primary PE and Sport Premium will continue into September.
Dear Secretary of State,
RE: Future of the £320 million primary PE and Sport Premium
We are writing today to seek urgent clarity on the continuation of the investment made through the Primary PE and Sport Premium.
As you will know, this funding has been made available to primary schools to support their PE and school sport offer since 2013.
The past year has taken an incredible toll on young people’s health and wellbeing. We are sure you will agree that getting young people active again in school has a hugely important role to play in their recovery. As a sector we have been working together to support and encourage schools to offer daily physical activity and weekly PE as core building blocks of the recovery curriculum.
However, with just a few weeks left of the summer term, schools have not yet received confirmation that the PE and Sport Premium will continue into September.
We are becoming increasingly alarmed at the impact this uncertainty is having, at a critical time for schools who are planning their provision for the next academic year. This comes at a time of huge demand from schools, families and young people.
In recent weeks, the lack of confirmed funding has led to a scaling back of initiatives and of jobs among the organisations and individuals who support schools to maximise the impact of their PE and Sport Premium. The delay is leading to a reduction in planned provision and hampering efforts to leverage funding from the private sector to strengthen PE and school sport. We are aware of at least one local authority advising schools to budget on the assumption that this funding will not continue.
We appreciate the huge number of challenges government is tackling at the moment as we emerge from the pandemic. However, with young people’s recovery of such paramount importance, it would be devastating if the national effort to support the recovery of young people’s health and wellbeing was hampered by an avoidable delay in confirming funding for next year.
This national effort to support young people’s recovery would be significantly strengthened by an immediate confirmation from your department that this funding will continue into the 2021/22 academic year.
Thank you for your support.
Yours sincerely,
Ali Oliver MBE, CEO, Youth Sport Trust
Mark Gannon, CEO, UKCoaching
Huw Edwards, CEO, UKActive
Lisa Wainwright, CEO, Sport & Recreation Alliance
Sue Wilkinson MBE, CEO, Association for Physical Education
Lee Mason, CEO, Active Partnerships Network
Steve Peyman, COO, Chance to Shine
Sarah Mortiboys, MD, Dallaglio Rugby Works
Arun Kang, CEO, Sporting Equals
Beatrice Butsana-Sita, CEO, Greenhouse Sports
Stephanie Hilborne OBE, CEO, Women in Sport
Andy Dalby-Welsh, CEO, London Youth Games
Richard Norman, CEO, SportsLeadersUK
Vincent Britten & Alan Watkinson, co-Chairs, Schools Active Movement
Tom Harrison, CEO, England & Wales Cricket Board
Mark Bullingham, CEO, The Football Association
Scott Lloyd, CEO, Lawn Tennis Association
Bill Sweeney OBE, CEO, Rugby Football Union
Adrian Christy, CEO, Badminton England
John Boyd, CEO, BaseballSoftballUK
Stewart Kellett, CEO Basketball England
Georgina Usher, CEO, British Fencing
Alastair Marks, CEO (interim), British Gymnastics
Andrew Scoular, CEO, British Judo
Peter Hart, CEO, British Orienteering
Andy Parkinson, CEO, British Rowing
Ashley Metcalf, CEO, British Weightlifting
Lisa Pearce, CEO, British Wheelchair Basketball
Chris Jones, CEO, England Athletics
Nick Pink, CEO, England Hockey
Mark Coups, CEO, England Lacrosse
Fran Connelly, CEO, England Netball
Sue Storey, CEO, England Volleyball
Brendon Pyle, CEO, Golf Foundation
Marcus Capel, CEO, The Pony Club
Natalie Justice-Dearn, CEO, Rounders England
Ralph Rimmer, CEO, Rugby Football League
Jane Nickerson, CEO, Swim England
Sara Sutcliffe, CEO, Table Tennis England
Simon Hill, CEO, UKUltimate
