Sport England has published a radical new strategy to get more people playing and enjoying sport and to help those with talent get to the very top.

The new approach is designed to capitalise on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and to use its power to inspire more people to take part in and succeed in sport. The strategy commits Sport England to deliver on a series of demanding targets by 2012/13:

  • One million more people doing more sport
  • A 25% reduction in the number of 16 year olds who drop out of five key sports
  • Improved talent development systems in at least 25 sports
  • A measurable increase in people’s satisfaction with their experience of sport – the first time the organisation has set such a qualitative measure
  • Major contribution to the delivery of the five hour sports offer for children and young people.

Sport England will work closely with the National Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs) to deliver the new strategy, and will also create strong partnerships with local authorities. It will reduce bureaucracy by combining its multiple funding streams into a single pot of funding for NGBs, and will be consulting on a new, more streamlined method of funding wider community projects.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham said: “This major reform of Sport England marks a new era for sport in this country and will put us on the road to having a world leading community sport system. We want to encourage people of all levels and abilities to play sport for life, to reach their full potential and to remove any barriers in the way of the talented.

“By investing heavily in coaching and the club structure we can maximise the chances for English sporting success and improve the quality of the sport experience for all. National governing bodies will be key to successful delivery and will play a crucial role in helping us to get one million more people doing more sport by 2012. It’ll be a tough challenge but I am confident that together we can do it."

Sport England's strategy comes less than three months after The FA unveiled its own plans to improve participation in grassroots football, with £200m set to be invested in the future of the grassroots game.

When The FA's plans were announced in March, FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick said: “The FA National Game Strategy launch is a very important day in the everyday life of English football. We will spend the money wisely, not least because we’ve asked those involved how they want it to be spent. Some 37,000 people gave us their views and their experience of football.

“The aims are four-fold. Firstly we want more people involved in the game - players, coaches, spectators, administrators and, critically, referees. Secondly we want better coaches, more skilful players, especially children. Thirdly we want to make it easier to organise the game locally. And fourthly we want to raise standards of behaviour and address abusive behaviour. And as a parent and lover of the game this goal is especially close to my heart.”

DOWNLOAD: Click here to download Sport England's strategy document