Culture Committee Policy Review of Participation in Sport and Physical Exercise

REGIONAL COMMITTEES - EVIDENCE TAKING SESSIONS

Extracts from Minutes

Mid Wales (04-02) - 1 November 2002 - Newtown

Item 3: Sports Review: Sport and Recreation: Learning from Audit Inspection and Research

Presenter - Paul Griffiths, Powys County Council

The following comments were noted from the presentation:

The Audit Commission report which the Council was asked to comment on started from the premise that there was a competitive environment for sports services. There was very little competitive market for sports facilities in Powys. Efforts had been made in the past to involve the private sector in sports provision, but the private option proved more expensive than the Council run options and the low population in Powys was a powerful disincentive for the private sector.
The Local Authority had concentrated on continued partnerships with existing partners; accessing funding from Sportlot; engaging in a dialogue with users and non-users of leisure facilities and attempting to increase participation in leisure activities. Barriers to increasing participation were: lack of investment funding; increased bureaucracy and the legacy of the fairer funding legislation.
The Council acknowledged that services could be improved but argued that the premise of the Audit Commission report - that local authorities have to compete with the private sector in the provision of leisure facilities - did not apply to Powys as there was little private sector interest in such a low population density area.
There followed a question and answer session during which the following points were made:
The issue of access to leisure facilities was crucial in an area such as Powys. The planning of any new facilities had to take into account transport from the beginning. The Council had trialed minibus services, particularly in the school holidays. Transport has to be linked to demand, and there was a need for greater dialogue with the education establishments. One suggestion was that transport home from school could be delayed to allow sports activities to take place after school.
Any new transport ideas, such as taxi services, would need to be sustained with additional resources.
The 'exercise on prescription' scheme had proved popular. If success in one area leads to a cost reduction in another, for instance, health spending was reduced in terms of lower prescription costs, then the costs should be channelled back into the system to maintain good practice.
Comments from the public included:
Glenys Jones, Montgomery Labour Party: Leisure facilities should be provided for all age groups, not just the young. There should be financial help with transport costs to cultural events. A system of subsidising travel to the theatre would help keep professional theatre alive in Wales.
Lilian Beddoe, Montgomery Labour Party: There were many who enjoy ballroom dancing in Powys, this was an important leisure activity for older people in the County. The exercise on prescription scheme was very worthwhile but could cause problems when those involved were asked to pay the whole cost of the course at the first session.
Ena Williams, Wrexham: Wished to express her concern at the lack of facilities in the Mid Wales region, this was not highlighted in the Audit Commission's report.
Roger Saunders, Countryside Council for Wales: Powys has one third of all the rights of way network in Wales, there was an opportunity to develop these as a leisure activity. The walking and cycling strategy produced by the Welsh Assembly Government did not mention this potential for exploiting the public path network.
Dierdre Raffan, Centre for Alternative Technology: the number of request stops on the train services needed to be increased in order for people to be encouraged to use public transport.
Michael Jones, Powys County Council: there were problems associated with transport to leisure facilities. Because there were many user groups with different needs and a lack of transport facilities that exist in urban areas it was wiser to have smaller leisure facilities in villages. Funding bodies such as Sportlot had a centralised policy which was not appropriate for rural areas. The attempts to get funding for an all- weather pitch in Presteigne had suffered because of this.

South East Wales (01-03) - 24 January 2003 - Abertillery

Presentation from Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council

Lynn Phillips - Head of Leisure Services, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council

Presentation from Sports Council for Wales

Sara Butlin – Director for Local Development, Sports Council for Wales

Presentation from Federation of Sports Associations for the Disabled (Wales)

Jon Morgan – Director, Federation of Sports Associations for the Disabled (Wales)

Presentation from Ebbw Vale Rugby Club

Nigel Way, Community Development Officer, Ebbw Vale Rugby Club

Presentation from The FAW Football in the Community Trust

Mark Aizlewood, Technical Director, FAW Football in the Community Trust

Item 3: Overview of Culture Committee’s Review on Sport

3.1 The Chair welcomed Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM, Chair of Culture Committee and invited him to make his presentation.

3.2 Rhodri Glyn Thomas explained the terms of reference in relation to the Review of Sport the Culture Committee was carrying out. He indicated that any views expressed by the Members would be fed into the process. The terms of reference for the review are attached at Annex 1.

3.3 He added that a number of themes had emerged from the review to date:

Importance of physical activity to health
Establishing in children and young people the habit of/enthusiasm for taking part in sport and physical activity
Offer alternatives to traditional sports in schools so that individuals (particularly girls) were not switched off from sport
Opportunities for those children who don’t make the first eleven to participate
Opportunities for people leaving school to continue to participate in sports
Importance of volunteers and coaches
Benefits to older people of physical activity

3.4 Rhodri Glyn Thomas invited views on the review adding that evidence gathered at the meeting would be incorporated into the report that was scheduled to be debated in plenary on 1 April.

Item 4: Presentations on the Sport’s Review

4.1 The Chair invited Lynn Phillips, Head of Leisure Services, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council to make his presentation.

4.2 Lynn Phillips gave his presentation that focused on Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Sport and Recreation Strategy 2000 – 2005. A copy is attached at Annex 2. In doing so, he emphasised the following:

Appointment of a Sports Development Officer had enabled sport and recreational activities to be used as a positive tool in reducing levels of crime and anti-social behaviour and had contributed to the authorities social inclusion policy. The outreach work within communities had played an important part in bringing people to sport.
Sustainability – provision had been rated and the Sport Development Unit had been charged with protecting these provision over the next 25 years.
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council had a fruitful and successful relationship with the Sports Council for Wales that had reaped rewards for the area.
Recent successful Sportlot funding included £1.25m for Tredegar Leisure Centre, £0.5, for Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre and approval of £1.5m towards the relocation of Abertillery Leisure Centre to the Comprehensive School, campus. £1.83m had been receive from the New Opportunities Fund and will be put towards school sports and PE programmes.
- The Chair invited Sara Butlin, Director for Local Development, Sports Council for Wales to make her presentation.

4.4 A copy of Sara Butlin’s presentation that focused on women and girl’s participation in sport is at Annex 3. She emphasised the following:

A fundamental priority to increase the levels of participation by women and girls is to change attitudes and develop lifelong habits of making sport/exercise part of everyday routines. This would ascertain which issues attract girls to sports and what sports.
Statistics show South East Wales has a lower uptake in sports activity than the rest of Wales and this area needs to be targeted to encourage higher participation.
Within the South East Wales region, seven local authorities participation levels are below the national average.
Within the region, participation by women and girls is lower than men and boys and one of the Sports Council for Wales’ objectives is to reduce these gaps.
Found that barriers exist at schools, within communities and the image of sport and the volunteers who assist with running sporting activities.
The Communities First Initiative has enabled local sport and recreation to be addressed. Establishment/improvement of facilities has assisted in the regeneration of deprived communities.
Over the last 30 years, the facilities stock in Wales has increased by 10 fold. It must be ensured that facilities are accessible to all groups within the environment.

4.5 The Chair welcomed Nigel Way, Community Development Officer for Ebbw Vale Rugby Club and asked him to make his presentation. A copy is attached at Annex 4.

4.6 The Chair then invited Jon Morgan, Director, Federation of Sports Associations for the Disabled to make his presentation.

Jon Morgan based his presentation on the Federation of Sports Associations for the Disabled Strategic Plan 2002 – 2004 – a copy of which is attached at Annex 5. He emphasised the following barriers to disabled people accessing sporting facilities:

Transportation within communities. Need to review the availability of adapted vehicles and their use particularly in extra-curriculum hours.
Need to ensure facilities do not offer "graveyard" timings for disabled people.
Training – need to ensure staff within facilities received adequate disability awareness training and that there correct environment was created at facilities.
Require retention and further recruitment of volunteers who assist the disabled to participate in sport. £50k had been received from the EU and would be used to focus on this area within the next 12 months.

·Essential to market facilities and involve Social Services, education departments and other disabled groups.

The Chair welcomed the final presenter, Mark Aizlewood, Technical Director Football Association of Wales Football in the Community Trust, and asked him to make his presentation.
Mark Aizlewood advised that the FAW Trust had been set up by the FAW to develop the game of football across Wales. The Trust is a separate body from the FAW. Twelve months ago, Jenny Randerson, the Minister for Culture and Sport launched the Football Forum, aimed at children between 6-16 years of age. To date, 17 out of the 22 local authorities in Wales had appointed full-time officers to develop football with the remainder having appointed part-time officers. Officers to target women and girl’s participation in football had also been appointed. The Forum had produced a definitive strategy which had been agreed by the Sports Council for Wales and the FAW Council and had received NAW funding of £1.3m over 3 years.
He gave his presentation, a copy of which is at Annex 6.
The Chair thanked all the presenters for their excellent presentations.

Item 5: Open Mike Session

5.1 Members commented on the excellent presentations and made the following points:

Women have a problem in participating due to their family commitments and responsibilities and it was felt that a radical campaign is required to address this basic inequality.
The issue of walking is important. Children don’t walk enough due to engendered fear and are often afraid of walking in the countryside. Need to encourage walking as a recreational activity without being fearful of the environment. Noted that wealth of Forestry Commission land available in the area but more sign posting was required.
Suggested that the title of Culture Committee’s review should be – Sport and Physical Activity – as walking, dance, health and fitness are important factors in this area.
Would like to see what evidence Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council used to ascertain the quality of success on increasing women into sport.
Questioned why Sports Council for Wales had not supported Newport’s bid for an eight-lane swimming pool.
Clear message S E Wales has a problem with low participation in comparison to the rest of Wales and within the region. With the exception of Blaenau Gwent, the valley regions were bottom of the league and prosperity of areas was related to this. The funding received from Sportlot was welcomed but stressed that deprived communities required facilities.
Acknowledged that Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council were to be congratulated on the success of their strategy and efforts made to increase participation and provide facilities for people to use.
Need to have choice and variety of sports in schools not just rugby in winter and cricket/athletics in the summer. Is football offered at all schools?
Recognised excellent work undertaken by the Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs, which are generally located in deprived areas. These clubs have done a lot of work in sports with young people in the 7 - 20 age group. Volunteers generally manage clubs and it was suggested that the Assembly recognise the work achieved by these Clubs.
Important facilities in valley areas are accessible and small communities not limited to one facility due to size of catchment area.
Links made between physical activity and health proven and we should all be encouraged to undertake some form of exercise. It was important the correct image was marketed for groups such as teenage girls.
Communities First is an important Assembly initiative to help regenerate deprived areas. Important to include sport in programmes.
- In response, the panel said:
Appreciate difficulties women with family responsibilities have to make time for sport and is a fundamental challenge for the Sport’s Council for Wales. Acknowledged that an enormous effort required to bring about change.
Sports Council for Wales will be re-evaluating Newport’s bid for a replacement swimming pool.
Need to focus on challenges facing S E Wales and evidence enforces poorer health in areas with lower participation. Danger of looking at negative rather than positive aspects. All agencies must work together and have a co-ordinated approach to the Communities First programme to ensure best use made of resources.
Schools need to implement PE plan and to offer a wider variety and range of sports and explore potential of pupils. Need to offer sporting activity to suit needs and cater for all interests.
Agreed that Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs achieved wonderful results and often only organisation that has been able to reach young people in worst deprived areas.
Acknowledged access to facilities in small communities is a problem and area that needs addressing.
Links with physical activity and health area targeted for focus of future initiatives by Sports Council for Wales.
Rhodri Glyn Thomas noted the comment about extending the title of the review. He added that it was essential that all sectors of the community had opportunities to participate and barriers must be removed. Referring to contact sports, he referred to the system operated in New Zealand where children competed against similar sized children rather than age groups. He agreed with the comments that people were healthier when engaged in regular exercise.
The following questions were received from the audience:
How can access and transport for visually impaired people be funded and improved? Jon Morgan answered saying that physical access to facilities is the responsibility of the service providers. All upgrades and new buildings have to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and it would be useful for agencies to have access to a technical checklist to ensure they are all aware of the requirements. On transport, felt audit require to ensure all adapted vehicles are used to optimum especially out of curriculum time.
Facilities for hockey are good in Wales, yet it receives little publicity compared with other sports. Has hockey been considered as part of the Review?
Similarly, dance is a physical activity that many young people enjoy but don’t seem to have access to outside of school hours.
The panel agreed that both hockey and dance were important but said that it had not been possible to mention all activities during the presentations. Lynn Phillips added that hockey is played at a number of locations within Blaenau Gwent and his sports department is working with the Welsh Hockey Association to increase participation.
Does the Committee think the issue of playing fields being sold off should be given higher priority by the Assembly because it clearly affects participation levels. In response, it was noted that this was an important point as once playing fields had been sold off for development, that land can never be reclaimed. It was noted that Wales had not lost too many playing fields in comparison to other areas of the United Kingdom.
What steps are being taken to provide East Wales with a swimming pool which will attract and cater for competitive athletes? Sara Butlin said that the Sports Council for Wales had committed funding to replace Maindee Pool in Newport and was re-considering the application for an eight-lane pool in the Newport area.
It is proposed to have a high-level rugby academy in Bridgend that has attracted opposition because of the natural beauty of the area. How would you judge between these opposing views? The panel replied stating that this was a matter for the local planning officer. However, it was noted that there was a lack of indoor facilities in Wales that required addressing.
What is the Sports Council for Wales’ policy for adults and elderly people? Sara Butlin said that the present focus was on young people and increasing participation for adults. She added that there had been a recent campaign for the 50+ age group.
Where will the new railway station be located in Abertillery? Peter Law said it was proposed to locate it adjacent to the Tesco supermarket site.
- The Chair asked Members if they had any further comments and/or questions for the panel.
Can the FAW support local football clubs who are struggling financially? Mark Aizlewood said that the FAW and FAW Trust were separate organisations adding that the funding received by the Trust equates to 3p/person registered to play football.
Is there a strategy to provide extra pitches for football to cope with the demands? Mark Aizlewood said he understood an audit was taking place on the number of pitches in Wales. He added that to sustain interest and adhere to regulations, more indoor facilities were required. He also said that use could be made of school halls to promote mini-football within the school environment and free pitches up.

5.5 Rhodri Glyn Thomas said that the meeting had been extremely useful and comments would be incorporated into the report being prepared by Culture Committee.

North Wales (04-02) - 1 November - Amlwch

Item 3: Review of Sport in Wales (10.10am to 11.40 am)

3.1 Rhodri Glyn Thomas the Chair of the Culture Committee explained the terms of reference in relation to the Review of Sport his committee was carrying out. He indicated that any views expressed by the Members would be fed into the process. The terms of reference for the review are attached at annex 1.

3.2 The following points were raised in discussion by Members:-

information provided by the Sports Council for Wales illustrated that the demand for sports facilities in some areas was not being met. The needs of particular groups in society should be addressed;
Cost of admission to sports facilities was expensive. Consideration should be given to providing free access to families and young people during school holiday periods;
Local Authorities had no statutory obligation to provide sports facilities and this should be addressed;
An efficient transport infrastructure was essential to ensure youngsters could access sports facilities as many of those who lived in rural areas had to rely on their parents for transport;
Consideration should be given to opening school facilities to the public;
The provision of new sports facilities would lead to greater participation by the public resulting in a healthier population;
Considerable benefits could flow from attracting international sporting events to Wales, such as Anglesey’s bid to host the Island Games.

3.3 The following points were made by members of the audience:-

Claire Andrew, Holyhead High School said there was a need for improved sports facilities in schools;
Richard Parry, Secretary Holyhead Football Club said that school facilities on the Island were minimal with a lack of pitches and no changing facilities for female football teams. £100,000 was needed for improvement to pitches;
Ann Jackson, Leisure Department, Gwynedd County Council indicated that local authority leisure services would welcome being able to make facilities more widely available but were also under pressure to be cost effective and more guidance on how to achieve this would be helpful;
Cllr Bob Barton, Llanarmon-yn- Ial Community Council, suggested that better communication between the Assembly and local and health authorities was required to co-ordinate the benefits sport had to offer;
George Stuart, Bangor and District Gun Club, was concerned that following provision of a grant to improve the clubhouse, an application to improve the ventilation of the range was refused because the club still had the word pistol in its title. He also indicated that there were no facilities to train or practice Trap Shooting on the Island;
Linda Criss felt that funding should be made available for regenerating sporting facilities in the local rural communities rather than building new facilities in urban areas;
Nicky Manson, Wales Council for the Blind said that sport for health was key. Its benefits should be encouraged for everyone whether able bodied or disabled and not only for elite athletes or competitive reasons;
Cindy Yiu, a pupil Holyhead School, indicated a need for better transport and the provision of a centralised sports facility on the Island to replace the current centres;
Jane Clough, Sports Council for Wales said it was essential to provide the necessary training and funding to provide coaches of a high standard in all areas of sport;
Cllr Roberts - Pensarn had been offered a facility designed by Thames Valley Police but required £10,000 to purchase the site. He sought information on how to access suitable funding;
Graham Burchan, Merionnedd District Sailing Club stressed the importance of developing high quality coaches throughout Wales;
Steven Wood, Conwy /DenbighshireYouth Offenders Team, said that taking part in Sport had influenced many young offenders to change their ways and the "Get Hooked on Fishing" programme had been particularly successful in this area;
Cllr Gerwyn Jones, Anglesey County Council, emphasised the need for free admission to facilities during school holiday periods;
Wendy Crisp - the provision of better golfing facilities in North Wales were essential if North Wales was to benefit from the impact that the Ryder Cup coming to Wales would have on tourism;
Bob Lowe, Welsh Yachting Association, indicated that the Assembly should provide policies to take advantage of the natural facilities that were available in North Wales for sailing and climbing;

3.4 Members made the following responses:-

In order for individual youngsters to compete at county level it was essential that financial aid was available to them;
Lottery funding had helped with the provision of many sports centres but in many cases centres could not operate without volunteers, The National Assembly needed to give practical support to these volunteers;
Public access to school facilities should be considered;
Consideration should be given to providing access to sports facilities on a 24 hour basis;
Suggestions should be considered on how to attract and support volunteers for local sports groups;

3.5 Rhodri Morgan indicated that discussions were taking place with the Welsh Local Government Association for the provision of free entry to local authority facilities for certain groups.