ukactive Executive Director Steven Ward responds to Theresa May’s Ascension to U.K. Prime Minister:
It will be welcome news to every business in the country – including those in the physical activity sector – that we will have a new, stable government in place so soon after the referendum result, underpinning the stability and assurance in the economy.
Like many other sectors we will be seeking safeguards of our frontline workforce and continued access to the single market as part of the new government’s programme – however we are also aware of the opportunities presented by new trade deals where our sector can be at the heart – we look forward to working with the government and DCMS as part of this.
The previous government and the coalition before it did a huge amount to firstly recognise, then to begin to treat, the issue of physical inactivity and has made several strong steps to doing so over the past years. From the establishment of Public Health England in 2013 through to the Government’s Sporting Future strategy late last year, there has been a concerted effort from Government to engage and work alongside our sector and its individual businesses.
This has of course gone hand-in-hand with the growing strength of our sector and the rise of the wellbeing industry, of which our sector is the backbone.
However, there is still a long way to go before building activity back into the DNA of the nation becomes a truly national priority. The ukactive team and our membership will seek to work closely with the new administration over the coming months to quickly identify where there are opportunities to raise the profile of physical activity and create long-lasting policy change, as well as areas where there we can collaborate with our members to deliver physical activity on the ground.
More People More Active More Often
