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| About the Bath Sport Group | News & Press | Bath Rugby Club | Bath Cricket Club | Team Bath | B&NES GET ACTIVE | |
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Why sport and active leisure are so important for Bath & the wider community
A modern second hub, in the form of the Bath University Sports Institute – whose facilities on Claverton Down amaze all who visit - is now well-established. In a short time it has become one of the leading elite sport units in Europe, with a number of World Record holders and Olympic Gold Medallists currently in residence. Both Bath Rugby and the Sports Institute could be regarded as historic accidents, resulting from the drive and success of individuals who happened to be here. They both enable the city to punch far above its weight. They both run extensive community programmes, especially for the youth of the city, and, together with Bath Cricket Club, provide excellent models for the benefits that accrue from the synergy achieved by balancing elite and recreational sport. We must be proud of (both of) them, nurture them and above all make sure that they remain and prosper in the city. But today, sport in Bath represents much more than just a source of civic pride and enjoyment. To quote from the introduction to B&NES GET ACTIVE document, a local response to various Government initiatives aimed at raising the UK population’s activity levels, “Sport for sport’s sake is no longer enough. Sport and Active Leisure can, and should be playing a significant role in improving the health of our communities….” Sport’s importance is not limited to health improvement for GET ACTIVE goes on to claim that it can regenerate “our communities through improving individual self-esteem, team work and contributing to economic prosperity.” So, to recap, sport in Bath has historically brought economic, emotional and community benefits to the city and now, in the 21st century, has a new role delivering health benefits to the local population. Both the Bath Sport Group, and the B&NES GET ACTIVE initiative, are responses to the challenge of improving Bath sport’s historic contribution to the life of the city while, at the same time, rising to the new challenge of encouraging more of the local population to participate in an active way. The remainder of this document looks briefly at the ideas being developed by these two groups. Enhancing Bath’s appeal as a city By adding Bath’s sporting appeal to the well established attractions of Bath’s culture and heritage we will create a unique trinity providing economic, social and health benefits. The beneficiaries of such a unity of purpose are many and varied and would include: citizens, visitors, participants (spectators, players and organisers), retailers, hoteliers and many others. “High profile sports events and other sport-related activities attract over 1.3m people and nearly £90m into the south west region from elsewhere…This is a larger number of people than for any other English region.” The Value of Sports Economy in the Regions – Sport England 2003, originally quoted in GET ACTIVE. As GET ACTIVE goes on to say: “Sports events offer far more than just the opportunity to spectate. They can offer role models and incentives for future participation, as well as having a key role to play in the area’s tourism and economic prosperity. Major events (such as Bath Rugby home games) can help to attract more business and leisure visitors to the area which, not only encourages direct spend in our area, but will help to highlight the area’s unique assets to a wider audience. It concludes the chapter on encouraging sports events and tourism by pointing out that “sport and active leisure can also play a wider role in promoting tourism in the area” and commits the Council to working with Bath Tourism Plus to this end. The success of the predominantly arts based concept of the Bath “City of Festivals” partnership is one that we can both learn and borrow from. With the new multi-purpose arena envisaged for the Rec., Team Bath’s access to summer campus accommodation and the use of local club grounds for international youth cricket festivals, for example, there will be ample scope for expanding the number of sporting festivals that currently take place in and around the city. All of which add to the city’s appeal. Increasing the local population’s activity levels As activity levels have fallen, the health problems associated with inactivity have increased to the point where inactivity now ranks alongside smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure as a major health risk factor. A 10% increase in adult activity levels would prevent around 6,000 premature deaths per year. “Encouraging more people across Bath and North east Somerset to get and stay active will be fundamental to all of our work related to sport and active leisure.” GET ACTIVE The GET ACTIVE team recognise that to have a beneficial effect, individuals need to include activity as part of a daily lifestyle habit. The GET ACTIVE document identifies a number of ways of increasing activity levels through participation in sport and active leisure, including: creating opportunities to participate while at work; developing family focussed activities so that parents do not just watch their children from the sidelines; encouraging the development of strong links between schools and sport clubs to ease the transition from school into employment or higher education so that teenagers maintain activity levels established at school; developing alternative sporting and active leisure opportunities with particular appeal for young people, such as extreme sports, outdoor pursuits and dance. The target set by the B&NES Council Sport and Active Leisure Team responsible for producing GET ACTIVE is, by 2010, to:
Exploit existing sporting wealth (for social gain) While recognising that: ”it would be naïve to think that sport alone can change our communities” GET ACTIVE goes on to suggest that: “Delivered within a sound ethical framework, sport has significant role to play in reducing crime and inequality”. Fostering better co-ordination and encouraging more partnerships between local sports clubs and both non sport based community groups, and local and central government agencies concerned with reducing crime and inequality, we will build a stronger community which benefits all, not just the disadvantaged. Community leadership Sporting synergy These partnerships need to be nurtured and others established. Cultivate and mobilise volunteerism Bath is a city whose inhabitants are proud to live here and want to help the city maintain and enhance its unique architectural, sporting and cultural identity. Bath citizens’ willingness to volunteer is particularly strong in the community sports area and GET ACTIVE recognises that: “It is crucial that club volunteers are recognised and supported and schemes are put in place to encourage more people to get involved in volunteering opportunities.” Make it happen
But if sport is to continue to make, and even enhance, its invaluable contribution to Bath life we will require community leadership and initiative supported by the resources (money, skills and manpower) necessary to make it happen. In addition, the sporting synergy that already exists between elite and grass roots sport must be encouraged and extended. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the many unsung heroes of Bath’s sporting success need to be mobilised behind a shared vision for the future of sport in the city to ensure they continue to volunteer their time and encourage others to join them in supporting Bath Sport.
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For much of Bath’s sporting history, the Rec. has acted as its hub. Bath Rugby, one of twelve Premier League clubs in the country, has become synonymous with the Rec. and brings huge economic, emotional and community benefits to the city. Other sports, including many grass-root organisations, and events like the Bath Hockey Festival, the Bath Half Marathon and The Friends of Bath County Cricket Festival, all have valid claims to call the Rec. home. 