Source · Select Committees · Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 2
2
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We are concerned that a lack of confidence, and a fear of being in close...
Recommendation
We are concerned that a lack of confidence, and a fear of being in close proximity with people from outside their own household, will affect people’s return to group sports, particularly those that take place indoors (such as indoor exercise classes), those that require physical contact (such as rugby), and those that require participants to be in close proximity for extended periods of time (such as rowing). We support requests from the sport sector for clear and effective public messaging from the Government to ensure people feel safe returning to group physical activity. To help to get the UK moving again, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport should fund advertisements, based on the ‘This Girl Can’ model, using realistic content about how to get back to exercise without fear. In the medium-to-long term, we recommend that DCMS establishes a fund to invest specifically in helping those people whose activity levels have been adversely affected by the lockdown restrictions—including older people, BAME people, disabled people, women, people from lower socio-economic backgrounds and those unable to access physical activity content online—to ensure that the progress that was being made in physical activity levels within these groups is not set back by Covid-19.
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Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
Sport England launched the Join the Movement campaign on 26 March, which provides tips, advice and guidance on how people can keep or get active in and around the home. Join the Movement has involved the health and fitness industry, including partners like ukactive, in the development of the campaign. Its online hub offers free exercise content and advice from organisations such as the NHS. Workouts from fitness brands and influencers such as Les Mills on Demand, The Body Coach (Joe Wicks) and FiiT are also available via the hub. 2 Impact of Covid-19 on DCMS sectors: Government Response Sport England have also been consulting with the sport and physical activity sector since September 2019 on the broad principles that should inform its new strategy. Sport England published a framework document in May reflecting back to the sport and physical activity sector, the feedback that Sport England have been receiving from stakeholders and to test emerging ideas. Tackling inequalities and focusing on the people who need the most help to live active lives will be a key focus of Sport England’s new strategy.