Physical activity remains critical: Our response to new national restrictions

This weekend’s announcements highlighted the seriousness of the country’s public health situation and we all recognise the difficult decisions facing government at this time.

We also recognise that the announcement of further restrictions will cause real concern around London’s community physical activity and sport sector after an already deeply challenging year.

Everyone working in community sport, from the largest NGB and leisure operator to the smallest community group has done remarkable work over these difficult recent months. 

We know just how difficult these new measures will seem; we also know the importance of physical activity and sport in helping with London’s recovery.

To help support London’s physical activity and sport community, we have already taken a number of steps to ensure we are playing our role as best we can:

• We have reaffirmed our commitment to the London Funders led “We Stand With The Sector” principles and will ensure that our approach to funding and grant funding recipients is sensitive to the challenges faced by the whole of civil society

• We will continue to update our covid-19 funding resources to provide up-to-date signposting to organisations seeking funding to help them manage in the weeks ahead

• We will continue to back and support efforts to help people remain active in their own homes and through outdoor exercise, through both tech and non-tech means

• We will endeavour to respond to and support partners with any queries that arise, providing advice, guidance and signposting to help navigate the challenges of the coming weeks

• We will work engage in regular conversations with other London-wide and national organisations to make the voices of the capital’s community physical activity and sport sector heard

Helping people to get and remain active remains one of the most powerful things we can do to support our communities’ physical and mental health and their overall wellbeing.

While there will be many things that we are unable to do in the coming weeks while the country as a whole works to manage and control the impact of covid-19, we know that physical activity and sport must be there to support people when restrictions are eased.

As we all showed earlier in the year, We Are Not Spectators – and we will be there for Londoners when they need us.

For the latest information on London Sport’s response to covid-19 and the most recent measures, please visit our covid-19 hub: https://londonsport.org/covid-19