North Swindon MP, Justin Tomlinson, has met with national sporting bodies and major broadcasters to discuss the future of so-called 'small sports'.
Demand for sports content has never been higher but it is not spread equally, making the commercial success more elusive for some. Smaller sports, including gymnastics and bowls, have seen their popularity grow on the back of last years Olympic and Paralympic Games, but broadcasters have continued to focus on larger sports such as football, cricket and rugby.
The success of gymnasts including Louis Smith, Beth Tweddle and Kristian Thomas at London 2012 led to local gymnastics club Esprit needing to expand rapidly and, with Justin's support, secured Sport England funding to develop an Olympic-standard facility. National sporting bodies have been hugely supportive of development in Swindon, but increased commercial funding would allow further such developments, in a range of sports, to spring up across the town.
Funding for Britain's three biggest sports has been assisted greatly by the advent of Sky Sports. Both the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Rugby Football Union have enjoyed increased revenue which has been pushed into grassroots campaigns. In addition, the most recent Premier League television rights deal is estimated to have cost Sky Sports and BT Sport in the region £3bn; large amounts of which have been invested by the Premier and Football Leagues' in developing community sports facilities.
However smaller sports have yet to see the benefit of such a financial windfall and national sporting bodies are looking at ways to widen the reach of their respective sports. During the meeting, the group discussed innovative way for 'small sports' to push their content to a wider audience. From inter-sport broadcasting groups, where two or three sports work together to produce and show programmes, to a dedicated BBC Sport Channel which focuses on smaller sports.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: "After the success of the Olympics, the numbers joining sports clubs in Swindon are up and I’m glad to see that this has also sparked a return to the days of people getting out there and volunteering to help their local clubs. Sports clubs across Swindon need-know only one thing: if you need support in any bid for any funding - let me know and I’ll back you all the way. In me, sports clubs across Swindon have a friend whose support is unwavering!"
