Almost 50% of Scots adults take no part in regular sports activity, study shows
nation. While our elite sportsmen and women continue to perform on the world stage, success stories mask a growing problem with the grassroots of sport.
Although Scotland ranks favourablywiththemostactive countries in the world for participation in sport up to the age of 11 – and with no difference between girls and boys – the subsequent decline is so dramatic that by adulthood we are among the least active nations on earth.
Research by the OSS, Scotland’s only research think-tank on sport, shows that almost 50 percentoftheadultpopulation take part in no regular sports activity and poverty is now the mainbarriertoparticipationin Scotland.
Further research also demonstrates direct links to health, education and the economy, with high rates of obesity recently linked to high rates of Covid-19, and expectations that theseimpactswillbeexacerbated by the pandemic.
In an attempt to counter this, and lay the foundations for a brighter, healthier future, the OSS has drawn on research, views and opinions from over 2,000stakeholdersacrossscotlandandglobally,tolookathow Scotland can address key concerns. Together, we are calling on the new Scottish Government to:
Launch a ‘National Conversation into the Role of Sport in Scottish Society’: a nationwide consultation to engage people from national to community levels – notably including nonsport organisations – in discussion on how community sport can and should support health and wellbeing, education and the economy.
Appoint the new Health and Sportcabinetsecretarytochair a multi-stakeholder National Sport Forum which will focus on ‘Building Back Better’ with sustainable delivery models of community sport, leisure and recreation. This should engage all partners to transform Scotland’s health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on inactiveandvulnerablepeople,and create a ‘National Sport Agreement’. This would be similar to national agreements introduced by the Netherlands and other nations to bring joinedup thinking and clarity to how stakeholders fund and deliver community sport at national and local levels.
The third ask is to underpin sport policy with the same commitment to research and evidence as in other areas of government policy, and properlyinvestigatingparticipation, local provision, delivery mechanisms and real and perceived
links to health, education and the economy, with international comparisons. With a system to monitor change and adapt policy, this will create a more informed narrative around sport activity.
Martin Gilbert, co-founder of Aberdeen Asset Management and a founding funder of the OSS, said: “The value of sport to the economy in Scotland is significant.
"Itismostobviousintheinternational sporting events we bring to the country, and the benefits of international competition, but it is more valuable for the cohesion it brings to Scottish communities, to the physical and mental resilience inthepopulation,andinunderpinningastrongworkforceand improving productivity.
“If we can address the barriers to sport that nearly half of thepopulationnowexperience howmuchofaboostwouldthat provide to our public services, our local, national and internationalbusiness,andthescottish economyasawhole?anational Conversationwouldinvestigate that and I am delighted to offer my and the OSS support.”
The concept of a nationwide consultation would seek views from across health and social care, education, business and thethirdsectoronhowcommunity sport activity could better support health and wellbeing, education and the economy, and Scotland’s recovery from Covid.
The OSS has investigated changes made in European nations to sports development where it has been pulled more centrally into government priorities to help tackle a wide range of problems, with health, socialandeconomicbenefitsas a result.
A high profile example of this was a shift in the Netherlands in response to the economic crisis of 2008, where the Dutch governmentusedresearchinto sport’s links to health to justify investmentincommunitysport as a way to mitigate the worst effectsofunemployment,mental health and social exclusion.
It is hoped similar benefits can be achieved in Scotland, amid growing concern about the crisis in both mental and physical health following more thanayearofthepandemicand the lockdown measures taken to stop the spread of the virus. The OSS proposals seek to do thistoaddressinequalities,with claimsthatamorecohesiveand joined-upapproachtocommunity sport can ease the immediate burden on local authorities andsignificantlyreducethemid to long-term financial burden to the Scottish Government, through prevention.
Conversations among more than 2,000 OSS stakeholders points to a broad agreement in the public and private sector that Scotland has a unique opportunity provided by the Covid pandemic to re-think its approach to community activity,andusesportmoreeffectively and strategically as a tool for improving population health and wellbeing, and creating stronger levels of resilience.
Frances Simpson, CEO of Support in Mind Scotland, said: “We have a strong evidence base that sport, fitness and regular exercise provide enormous benefits to the mental health and wellbeing of people of all ages, as a proven way to reduce stress, lower anxiety and improve mood and confidence.”
It's time for a national debate to bring Scotland together on sport
There is a clear momentum for change across Scotland, an appetite to contribute and to grow collective intelligence in pursuit of sustainable development goals at national and local levels.
As we look to rebuild in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, there are significant challenges to face – but the OSS studies of global responses has shown sport to be at the heart of much promising work.
We are calling for a ‘National Conversation’ in order to bring Scotland together, to enable discussion and debate, learn from international examples and bring a newfound cohesion to how we learn from good practice here and abroad, to enable the country as a whole to identify the best way forward.
Among policy ideas generated for discussion by the
OSS forums, are the following:
Health inequalities: Focus public funding to address barriers to sport activity, eg fund only sports and clubs that provide equitable access across age, gender and ability in all communities. Children’s health and education: Enable extra-curricular activity and remove variable, postcode lottery nature of opportunity available to children of all backgrounds. Older people’s health: Support ‘Senior Sport’ programme in partnership with key stakeholders, including Age Scotland and health and social care partnerships, in all regions.
Social prescribing: Research, map and analyse Scotland’s ‘social prescribing’/general practitioner referral’ approaches in partnership with National Health Service, Public Health Scotland,
HSCPS and trusts. Support teenagers: Lead on free and low-cost access to school and community ‘hubs’ to enable and empower children and young people of all abilities, to tackle inequalities and Scotland’s participation decline from 11 years old.
Educate community leaders: Include in ALL sport/ sportscotland qualifications professional guidance on poverty, disability, mental health and gender issues. Community sport regeneration: Energise community, school and youth sport with focus on shorter travel distances and sport seasons to reduce costs, widen inclusion and re-grow volunteer base post-covid.
Town/village centre regeneration: Stimulate, through more engaged and inclusive community planning, sport and recreation activity in town and village centres
linked to active travel and 20-minute neighbourhoods. Active travel :Growanew generation of cyclists by enabling all children to learn and develop confidence with cycle routes, pump tracks and bike stores in all new school builds.
Over the next six weeks The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and Edinburgh News, in paper and online, will be featuring people from across the Scottish landscape and around the world as we discuss, debate and examine evidence into how community sport does, or could, play a key role in improving health and wellbeing, educational attainment and the economy in Scotland.
If you wish to join the discussion, contact us at gareth.edwards@jpress. co.uk, and the Observatory for Sport at www.oss.scot.