The UK government has announced plans to merge UK Sport and Sport England, the two bodies that distribute National Lottery funding, in a move that will take place after the London 2012 Olympics, which reach their two-years-to-go milestone today.
According to UK newspaper The Guardian, sports minister Hugh Robertson promised to try to protect the £304 million in government and lottery funding for British athletes through to 2013 and said state funding cuts forecast for 2012 could be compensated by changing the lottery and persuading sport to invest more TV rights revenues in grassroots.
It is still unclear what the future will be for the bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have similar roles to Sport England of promoting grassroots sports. UK Sport funds elite talent.
“Where proposed changes have implications for the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland we will work closely with them to finalise proposals,” read a statement from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
UK Sport chair Baroness Sue Campbell was quoted by the BBC as saying that “What is crucial now is that all sides engaged in this decision understand not only the issues but also the risks involved in such a move.”
It is still unclear what the future will be for the bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have similar roles to Sport England of promoting grassroots sports. UK Sport funds elite talent.
“Where proposed changes have implications for the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland we will work closely with them to finalise proposals,” read a statement from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
UK Sport chair Baroness Sue Campbell was quoted by the BBC as saying that “What is crucial now is that all sides engaged in this decision understand not only the issues but also the risks involved in such a move.”
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