British American Football has joined over 200 leading bodies for health, sport, fitness and leisure in urging the Prime Minister to intervene as grassroots facilities face ‘final straw’ if energy relief ends.
In a letter to Rishi Sunak, the signatories called on his Government to provide far greater support for grassroots facilities and clubs amid the ongoing energy crisis.
The letter warns that failure to identify bespoke support for the sector as part of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme will be “the final straw for many facilities and services” and stating that without national intervention, communities will see the loss of essential local services. Within the letter, the coalition calls for the Government to:
- Reclassify swimming pools as energy intensive as part of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme so they have access to the higher level of discount on energy
- Set out what tangible support it will provide to the wider sector – including gyms, leisure centres, sports facilities, and clubs –to help navigate the energy crisis across 2023 so that service restrictions and facility closures can be
- Set out a “plan for the growth” for the sector by aligning the proposed new Sports Strategy with the Spring Budget to unlock the potential of the sector to support the economic, health, educational and social wellbeing of the nation.
The full content of the letter is reproduced below:
