The Government recognises the role rugby community foundations play in promoting physical and mental well-being, raising aspirations, and building stronger, more cohesive communities.

While professional rugby community foundations operate as independent charitable arms of their clubs, we monitor the financial health of rugby union closely and engage regularly with the Rugby Football Union and Premiership clubs to support the ongoing sustainability of elite and grassroots rugby union. Through public bodies such as Sport England, we continue to invest in grassroots and community sport programmes that align with our national priorities on health, education, and community development.

Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union between 2022 and 2029 to support grassroots rugby union.

Sport England’s Movement Fund also offers grants between £500 - £15,000 to support projects that support getting more people active, which includes rugby community outreach programmes.

The Government is committed to ensuring that as many women and girls as possible have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, whose work includes providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.

Sport England supports the work of the local Active Partnership which covers Woking, Active ​S​urrey, who champion physical activity with local leaders to develop interventions tailored to communities. Alongside this, Sport England invested £47,286 into sports-related projects in the constituency of Woking in 2024/25.

In addition, Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign has also inspired millions of women and girls across the country to get active. 1.6 million more women are expected to be active as a result of the campaign by 2028.

The Sport for Development Coalition received Sport England National Lottery funding between March 2022 and December 2025 totalling £773,334.

Rather than delivering programmes itself, the Coalition acts as the collective voice for the sport-for-development sector. As a result, it is not possible to quantify direct programme participation or user numbers attributable to the Coalition itself.

The governance of rugby union is a matter for the Rugby Football Union (the national governing body for rugby union), which is independent of the Government.

The Government monitors the financial situation of rugby union closely and continues to work with the RFU, representatives of Prem and Champ clubs as well as the Tier Two Board, and the wider sport sector to support the ongoing sustainability of elite and community level rugby union.

I have met with the RFU and Prem Rugby previously to discuss the long-term financial sustainability of professional rugby union, and my officials regularly engage with the RFU and Prem Rugby on this issue.

The Government is fully committed to our elite sport system and enabling our athletes to achieve their potential and excel on the world stage.

As Karate is not part of the Olympic and Paralympic programme it does not receive funding from UK Sport.

The British Karate Federation, supported by Karate England, together offers financial support for elite athletes.

This Government fully recognises the value of outdoor learning and its positive impact on young people’s wellbeing, school attainment, and reducing negative future outcomes.

As part of Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy, DCMS is investing over £60 million to provide local organisations with money to deliver high-quality youth work and enriching activities, as well as £350 million to refurbish or build up to 250 youth facilities. This will include outdoor activities and many other fun activities that benefit young people. We are designing the programme and will provide eligibility criteria in due course.

We have also launched Every Child Can, which will invest £132.5m of dormant assets exclusively across the five key categories of enrichment announced in the Enrichment Framework. This includes opportunities in nature, outdoor and adventure.

Responsibilities for legacy assets from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games have all transferred to their long-term owners and are no longer the responsibility of the UK Government. This includes Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which is managed by the London Legacy Development Corporation, a Mayoral Development Corporation of the Mayor of London.

DCMS recognises the significant economic contribution of business events, which facilitate trade and investment, support jobs and generate visitor spending across the UK. Industry data reveals that UK conferences and meetings generated an estimated £22.5 billion for the national economy in 2025, an increase from £19.3 billion in 2024 with the UK events industry expected to grow 3–5% annually.

DCMS sets the strategic priorities for the British Tourist Authority (trading as VisitBritain/VisitEngland). In line with those priorities, VisitEngland delivers its MeetEngland programme, which provides platforms for destinations to connect with buyers and bring international events to the UK. VisitEngland are supported in their efforts by local authorities, mayoral strategic authorities and destination partners including venues and event organisers.

Consideration of how best to support the sector going forward will be included in the upcoming strategies for both Major Events and the Visitor Economy.

Youth Matters will be focussed on ensuring young people have someone who cares, something to do and somewhere to go. The majority of our funding will be targeted to underserved areas who need it most. We are committed to working with areas of greatest need across the length and breadth of England. Following ongoing feedback and engagement with front line delivery organisations and young people, we are looking to merge our major youth funds and establish a much more straightforward funding system for youth through one interface, focusing on providing opportunities to young people when and where they need them.

Neither Sport England nor the Football Foundation fund political campaigning or religious activity, as this is prohibited under National Lottery funding regulations. As such there is no definition of political and religious neutrality that applies to County Football Associations in receipt of public funding.

Sport England-funded partners are required to comply with the terms and conditions of their funding agreements and, where applicable, the requirements of the Code for Sports Governance. The Football Association and the Football Foundation are Tier 3 organisations under the Code and are therefore required to have and annually review and publish Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans.

Neither Sport England nor the Football Foundation fund political campaigning or religious activity, as this is prohibited under National Lottery funding regulations. As such there is no definition of political and religious neutrality that applies to County Football Associations in receipt of public funding.

Sport England-funded partners are required to comply with the terms and conditions of their funding agreements and, where applicable, the requirements of the Code for Sports Governance. The Football Association and the Football Foundation are Tier 3 organisations under the Code and are therefore required to have and annually review and publish Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans.

I am responding as the Minister for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth with responsibility for DCMS youth enrichment policy, including Every Child Can.

As announced on 14 June, we will align the Every Child Can funding with DfE’s Enrichment Framework. This investment of £132.5m of dormant assets funding will fund opportunities exclusively across five key categories of enrichment: civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoor and adventure; sport and physical activities; and developing wider life and future skills.

The Libraries in Primaries programme - the first announced under Every Child Can - intends to extend provision to approximately 1,675 schools across England. It will prioritise schools with above-average free school meal eligibility, ensuring support reaches those with the greatest need, and schools with high SEND provision or additional needs will receive enhanced funding. The programme is led by the National Literacy Trust and is fully funded, meaning eligible schools receive this support at no cost.

The remaining funding will be directed across the categories above, funding enriching activities which may be delivered on school premises or in the community, in order to reach as many young people as possible. Eligibility criteria are still being considered as we develop the funding programmes and further details on which groups and organisations will be able to apply will be confirmed in due course. Dormant assets funding cannot fund statutory provision and all activities funded should adhere to the additionality principle.

In December 2025, DCMS launched “Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy”. This ten year strategy will ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. It is funded by over £500 million from DCMS.

We are currently designing how this funding will be spent, with input from a wide range of stakeholders, and are committed to working with areas of greatest need across England.

Local Authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of youth services in their area. We will explore reviewing this duty as part of a wider review of local statutory duties.

In December 2025, DCMS launched “Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy”. This ten year strategy will ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. It is funded by over £500 million from DCMS.

We are currently designing how this funding will be spent, with input from a wide range of stakeholders, and are committed to working with areas of greatest need across England.

Local Authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of youth services in their area. We will explore reviewing this duty as part of a wider review of local statutory duties.

In December 2025, DCMS launched “Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy”. This ten year strategy will ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. It is funded by over £500 million from DCMS.

We are currently designing how this funding will be spent, with input from a wide range of stakeholders, and are committed to working with areas of greatest need across England.

Local Authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of youth services in their area. We will explore reviewing this duty as part of a wider review of local statutory duties.

We’re working across government to expand access to enriching and meaningful activities, as we know that strong offline connections are essential to tackling loneliness and supporting young people’s wellbeing.

Our ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ will ensure every young person across the country, including those in East and West Sussex, has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. It is funded by over £500 million from DCMS and will include support for youth clubs and youth services providers.

Organisations across East and West Sussex have received funding through the Million Hours Fund, a c.£40 million programme which has provided over a million additional hours of positive activities for young people in areas with higher levels of anti-social behaviour.

Young people from East and West Sussex also benefited from the Adventures Away From Home Fund, which provided bursaries for disadvantaged or vulnerable young people to participate in day trips and residentials to outdoors spaces.

We are also pleased to have Brighton and Hove as an early adopter for our Young Futures Hubs, which will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive.

We’re working across government to expand access to enriching and meaningful activities, as we know that strong offline connections are essential to tackling loneliness and supporting young people’s wellbeing.

Our ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ will ensure every young person across the country, including those in East and West Sussex, has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. It is funded by over £500 million from DCMS and will include support for youth clubs and youth services providers.

Organisations across East and West Sussex have received funding through the Million Hours Fund, a c.£40 million programme which has provided over a million additional hours of positive activities for young people in areas with higher levels of anti-social behaviour.

Young people from East and West Sussex also benefited from the Adventures Away From Home Fund, which provided bursaries for disadvantaged or vulnerable young people to participate in day trips and residentials to outdoors spaces.

We are also pleased to have Brighton and Hove as an early adopter for our Young Futures Hubs, which will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive.

We’re working across government to expand access to enriching and meaningful activities, as we know that strong offline connections are essential to tackling loneliness and supporting young people’s wellbeing.

Our ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ will ensure every young person across the country, including those in East and West Sussex, has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. It is funded by over £500 million from DCMS and will include support for youth clubs and youth services providers.

Organisations across East and West Sussex have received funding through the Million Hours Fund, a c.£40 million programme which has provided over a million additional hours of positive activities for young people in areas with higher levels of anti-social behaviour.

Young people from East and West Sussex also benefited from the Adventures Away From Home Fund, which provided bursaries for disadvantaged or vulnerable young people to participate in day trips and residentials to outdoors spaces.

We are also pleased to have Brighton and Hove as an early adopter for our Young Futures Hubs, which will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive.

My department invested £4.7 million in the Adventures Away From Home Fund (AAfH) in 2025/26, supporting 31,160 bursaries for young people. Delivery of the fund ended on 31st March 2026 and no further funding has been allocated for 2026/27 for the AAfH.