Participating in sports does more good than just being healthy, charity says, but finances are becoming more stretched.
Photo by Alliance Football Club on Unsplash
After years of financial turmoil following the cost-of-living crisis in the UK, many families have had to cut back on some things to save money.
However, the cost of youth sports, from football pitch fees to PE kits in the West Midlands, is rising, meaning that some young people are being priced out of these activities, leaving some organisations worried.
An exclusive investigation by Birmingham Eastside revealed that some schools across the Midlands charge almost £50 for a single PE shirt.
Bishop Vesey Grammar School’s games shirt costs, at most £49.50, and at least £41. When looking at the ten most expensive schools, Shenley Academy’s shirt comes in at the 10th most costly, at a maximum of £24.
This isn’t exclusive to the Midlands, however; it is a nationwide issue, and it doesn’t just stop at uniform.
The cost of school uniforms and sports kits means that some parents are forking out on average “£422 a year” according to research from The Children’s Society.
Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash
Just under half of UK children are meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines for physical activity, and a number of factors can be contributing to this.
Sport England revealed in a report that “those from the least affluent families are the least likely to meet the CMO guidelines, with only 44% reaching the recommended activity levels compared to 55% from more affluent families.”
Aside from the physical kit, there are issues with locations that mean young people can’t access physical activities.
Some football pitch fees are rising, with some local authorities hiking prices to over £2000 per year.
North West Leicestershire’s District Council’s fees have gone from £1820 in 2018/19 to a staggering £2205.95 in 2023/24, which is a 21% increase.
The data, again from an exclusive investigation by Birmingham Eastside, showed many local councils were raising yearly prices for their pitches across the Midlands.
These prices may not be affordable to all families.
The cost-of-living crisis has already had a huge impact on youth sports. A review by Sported in 2023 revealed “75% of groups expect their costs to go up by 50% on average. 51% of community groups need between £1,000 – £9,999 to support their cost-of-living priorities over the next six months.”
Local Authority | Max of 2018/19 | Max of 2019/20 | Max of 2020/21 | Max of 2021/22 | Max of 2022/23 | Max of 2023/24 |
North West Leicestershire District Council | 1820 | 1862 | 1908.55 | 1947 | 2039.21 | 2205.95 |
Birmingham City Council | 760 | 805 | 805 | 805 | 805 | 821 |
South Derbyshire District Council | 615 | 630 | 630 | 630 | 655 | 690 |
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council | 549 | 549 | 549 | 549 | 549 | 549 |
Lichfield District Council | 430 | 460 | 467.8 | 479.5 | 491.5 | 491.5 |
Tamworth Borough Council | 397 | 407 | 417 | 427 | 438 | 482 |
Lincoln City Council | 290.9 | 299.6 | 350 | 385 | 408 | 428.4 |
Stoke on Trent City Council | 316 | 335 | 335 | 355 | 376 | 398 |
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council | 295 | 302 | 302 | 302 | 313 | 329 |
Dudley Council | 228.46 | 235.31 | 240.02 | 244.82 | 249.72 | 267.2 |
The football pitch fees provided by an investigation by Birmingham Eastside.
Rob, a press officer from Youth Sports Trust, said, “With the current cost of living crisis affecting many people in the UK, Youth Sports Trust are aware that participating in sports can be challenging for young people, especially those facing financial disadvantage.”
Despite the rising costs, organisations like Youth Sports Trust work with schools, organisations and educators to help young people be involved in sports.
“According to our recent Impact Report, young people who participated in our programmes 76% reported improved confidence, 73% reported improved resilience, 74% reported improved enjoyment of taking part in sport and physical activity and 68% reported improved happiness.” Rob said.
There are other barriers to accessing sports that young people face, besides the cost . Factors like mental health issues and young people who are at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) also contribute to a lack of involvement.
There are also gender barriers, as boys are typically more active than girls.
However, organisations like Youth Sports Trust are trying to educate young people on the benefits of sports, despite these setbacks.
“The Youth Sports works… to improve PE and after school sports provision, helping to create a generation of young people who understand the benefit of PE, sports and play,” Rob said.
On top of this, there are initiatives in place to alleviate the pressures, both financial and social, on young people who want to be involved in sports. These include guidelines on how much uniforms can cost in schools, as well as a requirement to make second-hand kits available to purchase for all families.
As well, programmes like Set for Success, Girls Active and Active in Mind all aim to involve young people in activities, regardless of their circumstances, financial or not.
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