Written evidence submitted by AoC Sport

AoC Sport is the membership organisation for colleges, leading the development of sport and physical activity in 16+ education. Our members make up almost 95% of the sector – transforming 2.2 million lives each year. We believe that sport and physical activity are essential components of college life, giving students significant advantages in education, employment and health. Our vision is for every college student to participate regularly in sport or physical activity. Our purpose is to promote, support and deliver college sport and physical activity.

1. What is the current quality and availability of facilities for grassroots sport?

The quality and availability of facilities for grassroots sports vary significantly across England, presenting a mixed landscape. In many urban areas, facilities often do not meet the growing demand, suffering from overuse, inadequate maintenance, and outdated infrastructure. In contrast, rural and deprived areas frequently face a scarcity of accessible sports facilities altogether, which hampers participation rates and community engagement.

The diversity in facility quality often mirrors local economic conditions, with wealthier areas able to invest more in sports infrastructure. However, even well-funded facilities can struggle with issues like scheduling conflicts and capacity limits, impacting their usability for grassroots sports clubs.

Challenges Faced by Community Sports Clubs:

Community sports clubs play a crucial role in supporting local sports engagement and providing health and social benefits to people of all ages. However, these clubs often encounter significant barriers in accessing affordable facilities. High rental costs and competition from commercial providers, who can afford to book facilities in large blocks, disproportionately disadvantage small community groups. These clubs are typically unable to commit to extensive bookings and thus frequently find themselves priced out of the market.

Competitive Disadvantages:

Commercial sport providers often secure prime booking times at sports facilities by making extensive block reservations. This economic advantage allows them to dominate facility usage, thereby limiting availability for community sports clubs that may only need the facilities for one hour a week. Such practices not only reduce the diversity of sports offerings available to the community but also undermine the community-oriented mission of public sports facilities, often school based.

Utilisation of FE College Sports Facilities:

Further Education (FE) colleges in England possess an extensive stock of high-quality sports facilities that are currently underutilised for community use. Unlike schools, FE colleges are often excluded from funding designed to open school facilities to the public. This restriction not only limits the community's access to excellent sports resources but also restricts valuable developmental opportunities for our students.

FE colleges are ideally positioned to serve as community sports hubs. Many college students (40,000) are studying sport qualifications and pursuing sports careers which require practical, real-world experience. By integrating these students into community sports programmes, colleges provide them with critical hands-on training and professional development, while also addressing the community's need for skilled volunteers and sports workforce. Additionally, FE colleges are often situated in locations accessible to large communities and are located both in areas of economic deprivation and rural cold spots. Making them ideal venues for expanding community sports participation.

2. What interventions are needed to improve this provision?

Establish Equitable Funding Mechanisms: Policy change is needed to allow FE colleges equal access to funding for community use of sports facilities. This funding could support operational costs associated with extended hours, staffing, maintenance, and equipment that are necessary for community activities.

Incentives for Community Engagement: Introduce incentives for FE colleges that successfully engage with the community through sports. These could include additional funding, recognition programmes, and support for hosting regional and national sports events, further encouraging colleges to open their facilities to public use.

Tiered Pricing Models: Implement tiered pricing strategies for facility rentals for community sports clubs, especially non-profit and volunteer-run organisations. This model would offer lower rates for community groups compared to commercial entities, making sports facilities more accessible to local clubs.

Allocated Time Slots for Community Use: These time slots would be reserved exclusively for community sports clubs. This policy would ensure that these clubs have equitable access to facilities, thereby promoting a more inclusive use of public sports resources.

Subsidies and Grants for Community Clubs: Offer subsidies or grants to community sports clubs to offset the costs of facility rentals. This financial support would help sustain the operations of these clubs, encouraging regular community sports activities and events.

Partnership and Collaboration Encouragements: Encourage FE colleges and other facility owners to partner with community sports clubs through formal agreements that support mutual benefits. These partnerships could involve shared marketing efforts, event co-hosting, and collaborative community engagement initiatives.

3. What sources of funding are available for grassroots sport and are they sufficient?

Grassroots sports in England benefit from a variety of funding sources, including government grants, lottery funding (notably through Sport England), local council budgets, and private sponsorships and charities. These funds are primarily aimed at developing sports facilities, training programmes, and community engagement initiatives.

While the diversity of funding sources is a strength, the overall availability of funds often falls short of the demand, particularly in economically disadvantaged or rural areas. The distribution tends to favour established organisations with the resources to navigate complex application processes, leaving smaller or less formal groups struggling to access the support they need. Often the groups that need it the most face the greatest barriers to accessing the funding, due to lack of knowledge and capacity to source the funding streams and submit applications.

The current level of funding is insufficient to fully support the expansive needs of grassroots sports across the nation. With many organisations facing challenges in maintaining and upgrading facilities, affording equipment, and covering operational costs.

• How can funds be distributed more effectively and application processes be improved?

Streamlined Application Processes: Simplify the application processes for funding by reducing bureaucratic hurdles and making forms and requirements clearer. The introduction of a standardised application template across different funding bodies could reduce the administrative burden on grassroots organisations.

Increased Transparency: Enhance transparency in how decisions are made regarding public funding allocations. Clear criteria should be publicly available, and feedback should be provided to unsuccessful applicants to help them improve future applications.

Targeted Funding: Allocate funds more strategically by identifying and prioritising underserved areas and demographics. This targeted approach would help bridge the gap between regions and communities, ensuring more equitable access to sports opportunities.

Capacity Building: Invest in capacity-building programmes for grassroots sports organisations. This could include training on fund management, project planning, and effective application writing. Such support would be particularly beneficial for smaller organisations that lack the administrative infrastructure of larger bodies.

4. How can volunteers be better supported and what is needed to attract and retain more volunteers to grassroots sport?

Volunteers in grassroots sports are crucial for the vitality and sustainability of community sport. Sport England Research from 2022 highlights that the majority of people who volunteer in sport and physical activity find the experience enjoyable and rewarding, contributing positively to their wellbeing and individual development. Despite these benefits, there has been a troubling decline in volunteer numbers, exacerbated by increased demands and a lack of support, leading to potential burnout and decreased motivation.

Key Challenges Identified:

• Increased Demands and Responsibility: Volunteers are often expected to meet growing demands without adequate support or training, leading to stress and a decline in satisfaction.
• Lack of Flexibility and Appreciation: Many volunteers struggle with inflexible roles that do not consider personal time constraints and lack recognition for their contributions.
• Diverse Engagement Challenges: There is a need to make volunteer opportunities more inclusive and accessible to engage a broader demographic.

Strategic Actions to Support and Retain Volunteers:

• Enhancing Volunteer Support and Recognition: Providing ongoing support and check-ins to ensure volunteers feel valued and listened to. In addition to implementation of regular appreciation initiatives to recognise volunteer contributions, such as award programmes and public acknowledgements.
• Increasing Flexibility in Volunteer Roles: Offer flexible volunteering roles that can adapt to individual schedules and commitments and develop roles that require less time commitment and lower levels of responsibility.
• Providing Comprehensive Training and Development: Offer accessible training and development opportunities to all volunteers to enhance their skills, increase their enjoyment of the role, and reduce pressures.
• Improving Recruitment and Retention Strategies: Use insights from both current and lapsed volunteers to refine recruitment strategies and address the specific needs and preferences highlighted by volunteers.
• Creating Inclusive and Accessible Opportunities: Develop strategies to make volunteering more inclusive and accessible, focusing on removing barriers for underrepresented groups.

Developing Community Partnerships Between Colleges and Clubs:

In addition to the above strategies, there is a significant opportunity to foster community partnerships between further education (FE) colleges and local sports clubs to enhance the support for grassroots sports. An example of this model can be seen with Bridgwater and Taunton College, which has successfully partnered with a local community football club. This partnership involves:

Facility Sharing: The college provides access to its sports facilities, allowing the community club to conduct regular practices and host games.

Volunteer and Coaching Support: Students from the college contribute as volunteers and coaches, gaining practical experience while supporting the club’s activities.

Mutual Benefits: This collaboration not only enriches the student experience by offering real-world training but also strengthens the club’s capabilities to engage more participants and host larger events.

By integrating these community partnerships into the broader strategy to support and expand grassroots sports, we can create a sustainable and mutually beneficial ecosystem that leverages the strengths of educational institutions and local sports clubs.

5. How can grassroots sport be made more engaging and accessible to under-represented groups?

Current Challenges

Our research at AoC Sport focussed on the challenges and motivations to engage in sport and physical activity for college students.  The insights gathered reveal that under-represented groups in sports—such as females, individuals from ethnically diverse backgrounds, and those with disabilities or special educational needs (SEN)—often face significant barriers. These include social anxiety, a lack of prior experience, and a perceived environment of judgement and exclusion. Many students from these groups enjoy sports but do not feel included or adequately supported to participate fully.

Strategies for enhancing engagement and accessibility:

• Understanding unique needs and challenges:
• Conduct thorough research to understand the specific needs and challenges faced by under-represented groups. This could involve surveys, focus groups, and digital ethnography to capture a broad spectrum of experiences.
• Promoting positive role models:
• Increase visibility of diverse role models within grassroots sports. Highlighting successful individuals from under-represented groups who have overcome similar barriers can inspire participation and demonstrate inclusivity.

Inclusive Marketing and Communication:

• Ensure that marketing and communication strategies are inclusive, with imagery and messaging that reflect the diversity of the community and the welcoming nature of the sport environment.

Improving facility access and availability:

• Make sports facilities more accessible by offering varied session times to accommodate different schedules and by ensuring that facilities meet accessibility standards for individuals with disabilities.

Develop targeted programmes:

• Develop targeted programmes that address specific barriers faced by under-represented groups. For example, offering female-only sessions or programmes designed for people with certain disabilities can create a more comfortable and supportive environment.

Simplifying entry:

• Reduce the complexity and intimidation factor associated with starting a new sport. This can be achieved by providing beginner-friendly sessions, clear guidance on how to get involved, and mentorship programmes.

Enhancing training:

• Provide training for coaches, staff, and volunteers on inclusivity and sensitivity to the needs of diverse groups. This training should also include strategies to engage and motivate participants from all backgrounds effectively.

Facilitating community and peer support:

• Encourage the formation of support networks within the grassroots sports community. Peer support groups can help new participants feel more comfortable and less isolated.

Financial support:

• Address economic barriers by offering scholarships, subsidies, and equipment lending programmes to make participation more affordable.

6. What can be done to engage groups with lower participation rates - such as girls, those with disabilities or from lower socio-economic backgrounds?

AoC Sports Student Leadership programme has successfully engaged young people from historically underrepresented groups. It aims to get more college students to volunteer in sport and physical activity and to diversify the volunteer workforce. The programme was designed in co-creation with the young people we want to work with and an unapologetically targeted approach. Our model recognises that there isn’t a one size fits all model for these groups and that stereotypes are unhelpful and limiting. The model is flexible and provides a framework for young people to create their own programme based on local needs and the available resources. In 2023-24 we recruited 390 student leaders who have engaged over 6000 of their peers in physical activity. The demographics of the leaders are over-representative of groups that are traditionally less active.

7. What measures are needed to make the pathway from school to community sport easier?

Our research indicates that the current community sport offer does not adequately meet the needs of 16–18-year-olds. Young people in this age group have provided feedback that the available programs are often skewed towards younger participants, with activities that seem "Disneyfied" and too childish for their tastes. Additionally, many community sports programmes require a level of commitment that is misaligned with the cultural preferences of this age group, who favour flexibility. They express a desire for opportunities that allow them to engage sporadically, "dip in and out" of activities, and avoid long-term commitments typically associated with yearly memberships.

Challenges Identified:

• Age-Inappropriate Programming: Programmes are often designed for younger children and fail to engage older teens effectively, who may find them overly simplistic or not challenging enough.
• Rigid Commitment Requirements: Existing sports programmes frequently require long-term commitments that do not align with the lifestyle and preferences of 16–18-year-olds, who seek flexibility and less binding ways to participate in sports.

Recommendations for Improvement:

• Develop Age-Appropriate Offerings: Sports providers should design or recalibrate programs to appeal to the interests and maturity levels of 16–18-year-olds. This involves creating activities that challenge them appropriately and respect their transition into adulthood.
• Flexibility in Participation: Introduce more flexible participation models that allow for casual engagement without long-term commitments. Options could include drop-in sessions, pay-as-you-go access, and short series of classes that cater to the spontaneous and varied interests of this age group.
• Leverage Successful Models: Successful models like StreetGames, offer a variety of activities that resonate with this demographic by supporting casual, flexible participation and aiding the transition from school to community sports. These programmes can serve as benchmarks for developing new offerings.

Governance

8. How effective are national and local government and sport governing body initiatives in delivering school and grassroots sport, and how might they be improved?

Many national governing bodies (NGBs) currently lack the capacity to effectively deliver school and grassroots sports. This capacity deficit often restricts opportunities to larger, better-funded NGBs, perpetuating a system where these entities continue to dominate the sporting ecosystem.

Challenges with Current Initiatives:

Sport England's Systems Approach aims to mitigate these issues by encouraging NGBs to collaborate, creating a unified sporting offer that avoids competition. This initiative seeks to shift the focus from meeting key performance indicators (KPIs) to expanding participation across all demographics. Despite these efforts, a competitive culture persists, with some organisations continuing to target already active populations instead of focusing on the inactive groups who face the greatest barriers to participation.

The prevalent focus on quantitative achievements among some NGBs continues to overshadow the need to target those facing the greatest barriers. This approach often results in a skewed allocation of resources, where the measurement of success is based on participation numbers rather than the inclusivity and reach of the programmes.

9. How can the Government facilitate better coordination across the sport ecosystem to deliver grassroots and school sport?

• Enhanced Support for Smaller NGBs: Provide targeted funding and support to smaller NGBs to build their capacity for delivering diverse sports programmes. This can help level the playing field and ensure a more equitable distribution of opportunities across different sports.
• Cultural Shift in KPIs: Reevaluate and adjust the KPIs for NGBs to prioritise inclusivity and outreach to inactive groups over mere participant numbers. This shift should focus on long-term engagement and the integration of underrepresented groups into sports activities.
• Regular Evaluations and Adjustments: Implement a system of regular evaluation of sports initiatives to monitor effectiveness and make necessary adjustments. This should include feedback from participants and communities to ensure programmes are responsive and adaptive to their needs.
• Promote Inter-NGB Collaboration: Strengthen initiatives that encourage collaboration among NGBs, facilitating a shared approach to increasing sports participation. This can help minimize duplication of efforts and ensure resources are used efficiently to engage a broader audience.