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growing rapidly then everyone would
be crying fix or foul. The important
thing is that we’ve now got statistical in- The AP3 survey revealed that 6.82
formation and I know from having been million people now play sport at
involved with sport for a long time that least three times a week
factual information is key. Once you’ve
got the facts, they allow you to inter-
prete them and take a strategic view
Of course we need more sports facilities, but we’ve also got
on whether you need to continue what
you’re doing – on the basis that you be-
to make sure we maximise the use of the ones we’ve got
lieve that it will work over a period of
time, or decide to readjust and rethink makes it the right thing to do. I think Dutton Enquiry. It may lead to a lot
some of your strategies. disability sport is probably a good ex- of issues, such as where do you draw
“It’s a partnership situation,” Lewis ample of doing the right thing for the the line, how you get them to apply
explains. “Rather than beat someone up right reason, as opposed to just hitting and how to enforce it, but nonetheless
because a target hasn’t been reached, targets,” Lewis says. it’s an area that’s well worth looking
we concentrate on what we can do to at for the public good.”
help people reach their objectives. The Lessons learned
longer we run this survey, the more in- Sport England’s auditing process was un- Easy access
formation will become available.” der the funding spotlight last year, when it Lewis acknowledges that one of the big-
Regarding the fall in participation was found that the World Class Payments gest barriers to participation is sports
in the women and disabled people Bureau had dispensed £19.7m between clubs’ regular access to adequate facili-
sectors in AP3, Lewis says Sport England 1999 and 2007 – without the apparent ties. “We’d like to work with everybody
had predicted these findings and has knowledge of Sport England executives. on this,” he admits. “Progress is being
already concentrated investment in Timothy Dutton QC’s subsequent in- made in improving our relationships
those areas. “The Women’s Sport and vestigation into the account found no with local authorities to maximise the
Fitness Foundation has given us some specific instances of fraud at the bureau, use of facilities but there are barriers,
good pilot studies and disability sport which paid grants, salaries and expenses such as insurance and caretaking, that
has been recognised by the NGBs in to small NGBs unable to handle large are not easy to overcome. During this
their sport plans,” he says. “However, sums of money. However, he uncovered time of belt tightening and financial rig-
you can invest a large sum of money a lack of governance of sports bodies or, using what you’ve got has to be one
for a relatively small return in terms of and a recommendation was made to of the obvious things to do rather than
actual aggregate numbers but it still establish a dedicated Sports asking for more money to build more fa-
Governance Committee to cilities. Of course we need more facilities
address the wider issue of but we’ve also got to maximise the use
NGB governance. of the ones we’ve got.”
Lewis agrees with this To encourage dialogue between the
recommendation to moni- various stakeholders, Sport England ran
tor NGBs receiving funding three Connect events around the country
more closely. “Establish- last year, which were attended by many
ing a kite mark method of local authorities and Community Sports
standards assurance to give Partnerships and Lewis says more are
public confidence in organ- planned. “These events certainly help
isations that run a sport to maximise partnerships at a local level,
that involves membership because when the various stakehold-
or an affiliation fee is a ers get together and start talking that’s
point well made by the when positive things start to happen.” ●
18 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital Issue 1 2010 © cybertrek 2010
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