(Source: Sport & Recreation Alliance)

The Alliance wants to take your temperature

As we bask in the success of London 2012, the Sport and Recreation Alliance is asking: “How ready are our sports clubs to deliver a meaningful and lasting Olympic and Paralympic legacy?”

Wouldn’t it be good if in ten years’ time – the sports that shone during the Games as well as wider sports and recreational activities – had all contributed towards a successful legacy that everyone could benefit from?

At the end of 2012, the Alliance’s Olympic and Paralympic legacy snapshot survey revealed cause for optimism, but that more could be done to help sports clubs drive up grassroots participation.

The survey showed that:

• two in five clubs (42%) are experiencing an increase in the number of people joining their club since the Games but a quarter (26%) of these clubs are struggling to meet this demand
• a lack of funding is preventing three in five sports clubs from growing their membership
• increased running costs are holding back the growth of 54% of sports clubs and half are struggling with a lack of affordable venues or facilities.

Do you think this outlook reflects the experience at your club?

The Alliance is carrying out its biennial sports club survey to piece together a picture of how our community and grassroots sports clubs are faring in the afterglow of the games. It will ask:

• What opportunities, challenges and barriers do you face as a sports club?
• How are you coping financially, and in terms of sustaining or growing your membership?
• Are you feeling the squeeze of local authority cuts?
• What training and support would you like to see offered by non-profit organisations to clubs in the future?

The information you provide is absolutely critical to us…

Armed with your answers both the Alliance and British Fencing will work to improve the environment for sports clubs and campaign to get the best deal for fencing.

For example, when proposed planning law changes were set to sweep away all sports facility protection, the Alliance helped to win special provision to safeguard them against development.

Answering this survey will tell us how we can help you more like this in the future.          

You can answer the Sports Club Survey between April and June this year, and results will be revealed in October. Visit www.sportandrecreation.org.uk/policy/SSC to find out more.

Notes

1. The Sport and Recreation Alliance, the independent umbrella body for the national governing and representative bodies of sport including British Fencing,  is launching its 2013 Sports Club Survey this April.
2. The 2013 Sports Club Survey aims to set out a detailed picture of how clubs are functioning in the wake of a hugely successful home Games, as well as to give a longer term view of whether clubs are in a better or worse position than they have been in previous years.
3. The Alliance exists to protect, promote and provide for its members.  As well as offering member services such as governance and HR advice and training, the Alliance also campaigns to achieve better policy deals for sport.
4. The Alliance prides itself on basing campaigns on strong evidence and data. Examples of recent successes include winning a late night levy fee exemption for sports clubs saving the sector up to £12 million, and helping to win special planning law provision for sports facilities to stop them from being swept away.

Other Alliance research, evidence, data and campaign work can be viewed and downloaded at www.sportandrecreation.org.uk/policy/research