Like many residents, I have been enjoying the return of the football season and have, thankfully, managed to get to a couple of Swindon Supermarine games.
The Coronavirus outbreak has forced most sports to adapt to new rules and practices, and I appreciate that this has not been easy for sports clubs of all sizes.
Throughout the outbreak, the Government has been keen to recognise the importance of sport, both for physical and mental health. I know for many people, going for a walk or a bike ride really helped during the height of the outbreak.
My colleagues in Government have worked hard to get grassroots sports going again. To this end, we have worked with Sports England to provide a £195 million package of support to help community sport during the crisis. Sport England boosted this funding with a further £15milion via its Community Emergency Fund. We also made sure that the sector was eligible for the other government support schemes, such as the job retention/furlough scheme, the business interruption loan, and business rates relief. In addition to this, the Government has worked to bring back Premier League football to the BBC, brokering a landmark deal to secure over a third of Premier League Games on free-to-air television.
We were making good headway in getting elite sport back up and running, with plans for small-scale pilots where fans return to sports grounds. The original plan was that fans could return to stadiums in a socially distanced manner by this week; however, an increase in Coronavirus transmissions has, unfortunately, postponed these plans. This will be disappointing to many clubs and fans, not only Swindon Town – but also for clubs like Swindon Robins where an entire season was cancelled.
However, the Government is working closely with various clubs and sports organisations to get a detailed understanding of the financial pressures – something I have been feeding directly into. Work is underway to look at a package of measures to financially support the relevant sports that rely on the return of spectators, and to ensure that they are ready to return as soon as it is safe to do so. This will be a mix of Government direct support and in the case of football support from the Premier League, who are still able to benefit from substantial TV deals.
Please be reassured, I have been feeding in the concerns and suggestions I have received from clubs to ensure that they are taken into account. I will continue to support the work being done to help clubs, especially Swindon Town who desperately rely on the support and income of their fans.
More locally, I was delighted to hear about Swindon Sports Forum Senior Games – a sporting contest taking place between 6 care homes across Swindon. It was hoped that this would take place live and in-person; however, Covid-19 has forced this event to be conducted virtually.
The tournament has four events – the (foam) javelin, putting, tin can alley and target mat. Each care home will record the 6 best performances from its residents, which will be judged by Sports Forum Coordinator Chis Baker. Keep an eye out on the Swindon Sports Forum Facebook page for videos of the event.
Although billed as a fun event, I am sure it will be very hotly contested, with those taking part being keen to secure the medals and trophy that’s up for grabs. Best of luck to everyone taking part!
