#saveleisure

#saveleisure is a digital campaign run by Community Leisure UK, ukactive, CIMSPA and supported by APSE, Swim England, Swim Wales and many other partners. We are urging the UK Government to commit relief funding to enable the full reopening and recovery of the public leisure sector accounting for the catastrophic impact of Covid-19. Without specific relief funding we estimate a third of all public leisure facilities in the UK will not reopen and half will face permanent closure by the end of the year.

1. Public leisure facilities need ring fenced funding to survive:

• 48% of all public leisure facilities face closure, 1,300 could disappear by the end of the year, along with more than 58,000 jobs.
• Up to 35% of venues will not be able to reopen due to the exceptional increased costs
• Closing leisure facilities is at odds with the government’s plan to reduce obesity and improve the nation’s health through exercise in the face of the second wave of Covid-19.

2. Public leisure must be protected to avoid the widening of health inequalities in the recovery phase from COVID-19:

• As charities, public leisure facilities offer physical activity to vulnerable and under-represented groups through targeted programmes (e.g. for older adults, individuals with long-term health conditions, disabled people, individuals struggling with their mental health) and reduced membership schemes for people from low-socio economic groups.
• Vulnerable groups are 18% less likely to be active than those from more affluent groups
• Vulnerable groups are twice as likely to die from Covid-19 than more affluent groups
• Public leisure provision contributes £3.8bn in social value to the UK (England, Scotland and Wales) every year.

3. Public leisure is a lifeline to support people’s mental health:

• There is a growing mental health problem in the UK especially among vulnerable groups
• Older people experienced heightened distress during lock-down due to higher risk and extreme isolation. They need to go back to physical exercise and community spaces to avoid functional decline ASAP.
• Regular physical activity is proven to improve mental health
• We provide safe spaces for connection and interaction beyond physical activity

4. Public leisure facilities should be a key partner in achieving the government’s target of reducing obesity, managing diabetes, and improving the nation’s health to limit the impact of a potential second wave of Covid-19:

• The UK has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world with one third of children and two-thirds of adults overweight.
• University of Liverpool research shows that being obese increase the risk of dying from Covid-19 by 38%
• 75% of people who have been hospitalised with Covid-19 were overweight or obese
• Leisure centres provide weight management and GP referral schemes.
• Promoting an active lifestyle is a key intervention to counteract the effects of social isolation, especially in older adults and other at-risk individuals, such as those living with chronic diseases associated with ageing and lifestyle.
• Leisure facilities play a crucial role in the NHS’ plan to build infrastructure for social prescribing in primary care.

FURTHER INFORMATION

1. Official campaign page - https://communityleisureuk.org/work/saveleisure-campaign/
2. On Twitter: #saveleisure | @CommLeisureUK | @_ukactive | @cimspa