Community Strategy Evidence Base
We have published a number of research summaries to support the
development and delivery of the five priorities in the Community
Sport Strategy, as well our Child Poverty Strategy. For each
priority, the summaries set out:
- key research findings - the rationale for the priorities and
the calls to action included in the Strategy;
- further issues for the sport sector to consider in meeting the
- questions for the sector to consider further. Sport Wales'
research team will be undertaking a number of projects under these
priorities in the coming months.
Much of the research referenced in the summaries has been
commissioned by Sport Wales. These publications can be found in the
Publications section of the website.
Increasing rates of sports club membership will require clubs to
engage with a broader base of participants: more women and girls,
more people from 'lower' social grades, more people seeking
recreational opportunities to take part in sport, and more
participants beyond the most able.
In this research summary, we explore how this might conflict
with clubs' current goals, and set out why better coordinated local
support will be required if we are to meet our aspiration to
develop larger, stronger and thriving clubs.
When at school, most young people express demand for more
opportunities to participate in sport. Yet by the time they reach
adulthood, over half will stop demanding sport of any type. If we
are to achieve our aspiration of hooking every child on sport for
life, it will not be enough to meet existing demand.
We argue in this research summary that we can only achieve our
aspiration of hooking every child on sport for life by decentralise
the structures of Welsh sport, take decision-making closer to our
diverse communities, and cultivate a desire to participate in sport
amongst all people in Wales.
In this summary, we set out the challenge for the sporting
sector in Wales as we strive to hook every child on sport for life.
Using data from the recentSchool Sport Survey 2011, we demonstrate
that enjoyment of Physical Education (PE) and school sport declines
as young people move into secondary school, particularly amongst
girls, with a resulting drop-off in participation rates. Most
teachers, meanwhile, believe that more time devoted to PE is needed
in order to provide the required quality of education.
We know that volunteers are vital to the continued success of
Welsh sport. The challenge of recruiting the workforce we need to
meet the aims of theCommunity Sport Strategyis a tough one,
however. In this summary, we show that the existing workforce is
dominated at all levels by men, that sport needs to be more
proactive in reaching out to potential volunteers, and that a
workforce which better focuses on customers is required in order to
meet the needs of participants.
Facilities are a vital element in inspiring participants and
creating opportunities to take part in sport. Wales has a generally
good range of provision in terms of built facilities, an excellent
network of national regional facilities, and superb natural
facilities for sport. Many facilities, however, are nearing the end
of their lifespan and do not meet users' expectations.
This research summary sets out the implications of this for
stretched local authority budgets, how some authorities are seeking
to manage their facilities, and the need for better programming and
stronger links to support sports clubs.
This research summary shows that there is apoverty of
aspirationamongst young people in deprived communities. Not only
are they less likely to participate in sport (particularly in
sports clubs), they are less likely to express demand for most
sports, and are less likely to have people around them who take
part in sport.
In December 2011, Sport Wales commissioned a stakeholder
consultation exercise to explore to explore five key priority areas
that had been set out in the draft strategy. This work was
undertaken by Brightpurpose Consulting, supplementing wider
consultation activity undertaken by Sport Wales.
Also included in the consultation exercise were a series of
focus groups to explore the issues faced by sports clubs and
volunteers in developing and maintain sports clubs across