Reframing the social value of community sport: Confronting the structural conditions that shape participation and wellbeing

Sport and physical activity generate substantial value for society, strengthening population health, supporting the economy, and building more connected, resilient communities. Recent analyses from Sport England show that in 2023/24, community sport and physical activity generated an estimated £122.9 billion in total social value, comprising £106.9 billion in wellbeing improvements and £15.9 billion in wider health-related savings through the prevention of non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and several cancers.

This analysis aligns with HEG’s broader commitment to upstream prevention. Community sport is a key setting for prevention, yet the benefits it offers are not felt equally. By drawing attention to the structural and cultural barriers that shape participation, we strengthen our commitment to tackling health inequalities and creating safer, fairer environments where everyone can benefit from the full social value of sport.

These figures highlight the potential of active environments to reduce inequalities, support mental wellbeing, and alleviate pressures on the NHS. Importantly, the same analysis estimates the annual social cost of inequalities in physical activity at £19.6 billion, a figure derived by modelling a counterfactual scenario in which groups with characteristics of inequality – such as disability, deprivation, minoritised ethnicity, or long-term health conditions – achieve the same activity levels and associated wellbeing gains as those without such characteristics, reflecting the substantial wellbeing losses borne disproportionately by marginalised and underserved communities.

Yet this modelling provides only a partial picture. While it quantifies the benefits of being active, it does not adequately account for the complex social, cultural and structural conditions that shape who participates, who feels welcome, and who benefits from community sport. Persistent inequalities in activity levels, demonstrated year after year in the Sport England Active Lives Survey, stem from systemic barriers such as the affordability of provision, cultural mismatch, time poverty, inaccessible facilities, and unsafe public spaces – not individual choice. These structural determinants receive limited attention in existing valuation frameworks.

Crucially, the national social-value models do not capture the negative or harmful experiences that many people encounter within community sport. Racism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, weight stigma, and bullying continue to shape participation patterns and undermine wellbeing. Such experiences can depress wellbeing, deter sustained engagement, and entrench inequalities, yet they remain methodologically invisible in current estimates. As a result, national valuations may overstate the net social value of community sport by focusing solely on benefits while excluding relational harms and hostile environments.

Recent commitments, such as the Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration signed by Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester and their respective Active Partnerships, signal growing recognition of the need for safer, fairer and more inclusive physical activity environments. These commitments align with ambitions to address Violence Against Women and Girls in sport through upstream preventative approaches.

Realising the full social value of sport requires acknowledging both its benefits and its risks. Creating inclusive, equitable and psychologically safe environments, free from discrimination, exclusion and harm, is essential if sport and physical activity is to deliver on its potential for communities.