For the first time in this country's history, we have had a government that has taken sport seriously and recognised the tremendous value sport can be to a nation both socially, economically and also in improving the nation's health and wellbeing.
Within a few months of being appointed Sports Minister in 2001, Richard Caborn had reorganised Sport England, UK Sport and the School Sports Trust, putting in new personnel at the top and by using the grants system to force national governing bodies to produce acceptable development plans.

He introduced a new coaching structure across the country and funded thousands more coaches, some linked to schools. The aim of this was two-fold; to produce success in international competition by developing the talents of our young athletes and also to increase the participation levels within our communities, thereby improving the quality of life and the health of our nation.

Since 2005-6, both West Yorkshire and the Humber areas have recorded increases in participation, according to the Active People survey. This represents a major turnaround after years of apparent decline.

The quality support to elite athletes, and also to athletes on the performance ladder through the English Institute of Sport at Sheffield, is now recognised as the biggest hub in the UK. We have raised the profile nationally and internationally for our region through training camps' work and we have developing international links with Pakistan, Ethiopia, West Africa, China etc.

Our international mountain biking venue – Dalby Forest in North Yorkshire – has been selected by British Cycling as their choice to host World Cup events in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Sheffield is now hosting on average 38 major events per year, including European and World championships. Nine national governing bodies of sport, or elite squads, are now based in the English Institute of Sport.

We now have thousands of young people across Yorkshire who have been inspired to volunteer in sport through the Step into Sport programme. Yorkshire is now the UK centre for coaching – home of Sports Coach UK for many years; Leeds Metropolitan University has recently been awarded the contract to run the UK Centre of Coaching excellence; a coaching agency set up to support the developing coaching workforce;

Our universities and colleges are also now getting behind sport in a big way – 2012 has inspired these institutions in the region to invest in sport – investing in new facilities, getting staff and students more active, providing volunteers for community sport, building international links and making the region a focal point for performance sport with innovative partnerships such as Leeds Metropolitan University's Carnegie programme with Leeds Rugby and Yorkshire cricket.

This has been done not just with lottery money, but also considerable Exchequer finances. If you add to this the massive Building Schools for the Future programme, each with superb new sports provision and designed for community access, we can see the foundations being laid for sporting success for future generations. It was always said that it would be at least five years before we would begin to see success and now it is beginning to work through.

The Government's commitment to securing the 2012 Olympics for this country has given all those involved in sports development a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to use the spectacle of the games to encourage and attract more young people into sport and healthier lifestyles.

On the economic front, our region has identified, through its Yorkshire Gold strategy, a range of non-sporting benefits to Yorkshire and Humber as a result of London hosting the Games in 2012. These cover business opportunities, tourism growth, the wider Cultural Olympiad and community and volunteering benefits. These will all be outlined in more detail over the coming months by Yorkshire Forward.

I know it's good sport at the moment to criticise this Labour Government, but let's give them credit where credit is due. It is clear, from a sporting perspective, that the last decade has seen a remarkable transformation and the reality is that we have never had it so good.


Peter Price is chairman of Sport England, Yorkshire Region.



We now have thousands of young people across Yorkshire who have been inspired to volunteer in sport through the Step into Sport programme. Yorkshire is now the UK centre for coaching – home of Sports Coach UK for many years; Leeds Metropolitan University has recently been awarded the contract to run the UK Centre of Coaching excellence; a coaching agency set up to support the developing coaching workforce;

Our universities and colleges are also now getting behind sport in a big way – 2012 has inspired these institutions in the region to invest in sport – investing in new facilities, getting staff and students more active, providing volunteers for community sport, building international links and making the region a focal point for performance sport with innovative partnerships such as Leeds Metropolitan University's Carnegie programme with Leeds Rugby and Yorkshire cricket.

This has been done not just with lottery money, but also considerable Exchequer finances. If you add to this the massive Building Schools for the Future programme, each with superb new sports provision and designed for community access, we can see the foundations being laid for sporting success for future generations. It was always said that it would be at least five years before we would begin to see success and now it is beginning to work through.

The Government's commitment to securing the 2012 Olympics for this country has given all those involved in sports development a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to use the spectacle of the games to encourage and attract more young people into sport and healthier lifestyles.

On the economic front, our region has identified, through its Yorkshire Gold strategy, a range of non-sporting benefits to Yorkshire and Humber as a result of London hosting the Games in 2012. These cover business opportunities, tourism growth, the wider Cultural Olympiad and community and volunteering benefits. These will all be outlined in more detail over the coming months by Yorkshire Forward.

I know it's good sport at the moment to criticise this Labour Government, but let's give them credit where credit is due. It is clear, from a sporting perspective, that the last decade has seen a remarkable transformation and the reality is that we have never had it so good.


Peter Price is chairman of Sport England, Yorkshire Region.