As Sport England reveals its vision for sport and physical activity over the next five years, representatives from local government, physical activity operators, County Sport Partnerships, equality bodies and sports policy respond to the organisation’s Towards and Active Nation strategy.

Emma Boggis, chief executive of the Sport and Recreation Alliance:

“We welcome the focus on an outcomes based approach, the emphasis on collaboration and working in partnership, the importance of being customer focused and using data to really understand the market and deliver what people want, when and where they want it.

“We also welcome the recognition that the sector is already delivering great things whether that is encouraging people to start becoming active, supporting the core market, using sport for individual and community development, or helping create our next generation of Olympians and Paralympians. I know that I continue to be inspired every day by what sport and recreation does deliver.

“There is clear indication in the strategy that Sport England have listened to the points raised by us, our members and the wider sector during their consultation. In particular we welcome the recognition that their new investment in the 5-14yrs age group must be coordinated with what is delivered in and around the school day.”

Councillor Ian Stephens, chair of the Local Government Association (LGA) Culture, Tourism and Sport Board:

“The LGA has been at the heart of the campaign for more investment in grassroots sport and physical activity. Councils are still one of the biggest investors in sport and absolutely critical to the successful implementation of any national sport strategy.

“From providing multi sports facilities, organising keep fit classes, to supporting volunteers, councils are often the first port of call for people who want to get active. Councils also bring together health, schools, voluntary sports clubs, National Governing Bodies of Sport, County Sports Partnerships and the private sector to forge partnerships, unblock barriers to participation and make the local sports system deliver better.

“With increasing financial pressures on health budgets and the crisis around rising obesity, the role that sport and physical activity can play in addressing these challenges is immense and I welcome the sport strategy’s focus on getting more people active.

“Sedentary lifestyles are a contributing factor to the child obesity crisis we are facing. Unless we act now, the number of obese adults in the country is forecast to soar by a staggering 73 per cent to 26 million people over the next 20 years.

“That is why offering training to at least two teachers in every secondary school in England to help them better meet the needs of all children, irrespective of their level of sporting ability is also well-timed.

“The emphasis on exploring new ways of working locally by investing in up to 10 specific areas to pilot new approaches to getting people active is also positive and an opportunity for councils to bid for funding.”

Steven Ward, executive director, ukactive:

“We welcome today’s announcement which commits an investment of £250m over the next four years to tackling inactivity, and recognises the shift in direction from Sport England to focus on engaging the most inactive people.

“The government’s ‘Strategy for an Active Nation’ – published last December – was rightly acclaimed as a major directional change in government policy with its ambition to deliver the behavioural change required to address the inactivity crisis this country faces.

“Sport England’s new strategy - as set out today - will play an important part in delivering this ambition. ukactive and the physical activity sector welcomes the clear indication that Sport England will invest in those projects and programmes which are created with targeting inactive groups in mind. In this sense, the strategy is certainly a step in the right direction.

“Going forward, full delivery of the government’s ambitions will require a true diversity of partners which includes – but must be wider than – the sports sector.

“We look forward to working with Sport England in full consultation to ensure that all roads lead to a comprehensive plan to get the nation moving, with all methods of delivery playing a part.

“ukactive – and the 4,000 members it represents - is raring to go to partner and deliver what is a very substantial part of the Government and Sport England’s plan, and which providers in our sector are uniquely placed to do so.”

Sports Think Tank director Andy Reed:

"This will be a tough strategy – as our evidence shows that working with the most inactive is extremely intensive and expensive but with great rewards.

"We recognise the importance of sport in delivering social outcomes and are pleased this is recognised by the strategy. It's also important that the strategy recognises that many barriers still exist for many groups in society in accessing sport and physical activity and these are to be addressed by the new strategy and funding will follow this.

"It has been important the government sets out clearly why they fund to sport and physical activity. With limited resources targeted intervention is far more effective at achieving its goal.

"We are pleased to see however, that the baby won't be thrown out with the bathwater and the existing network of 150,000 amateur sports clubs and the 3m volunteers maintain that structure still feature in these plans. They can't be taken for granted.”

Peter Fitzboydon, London Sport chief executive:

“This strategy is a brave and much needed departure for the physical activity and sport sector, and I applaud Sport England for taking such ambitious steps for the future. I am particularly pleased that the strategy fully supports the direction that London Sport has taken in the past year.

“Local investment, a customer-centric approach and harnessing the opportunities presented by better digital and data engagement are critical steps for increasing participation across the board, especially as it will help us to make the most of what is already there: crucial in such financially challenging times. London Sport is at the vanguard of strategic thought in these areas, and we look forward to working with Sport England, and the whole of the physical activity and sport sector, to deliver this strategy for the capital.”

Nick Pearson, chief executive of parkrun:

"This feels to me like a watershed moment. This long-awaited directional change in strategy will encourage organisations to focus in areas that we know make a difference.

"We particularly welcome the extra investment into volunteering, into tackling inactivity and focusing on the next generation through extending the scope of investment to include children from the age of five."

Barry Horne, Chief Executive for the English Federation of Disability Sport:

“We are delighted to see the greater emphasis on getting under-represented groups more active, especially disabled people. As a large population in all our communities, it is important for all providers to understand, involve and engage disabled people. This new strategy signals a major step towards seeking equality and we’re pleased to see the amount of common ground between EFDS and Sport England. We look forward to continuing our work with Sport England and other bodies to make active lives possible.

“Disabled people are the least active of all the under-represented groups in sport. That gives you an indication of the level of challenge ahead and it cannot be a short-term fix. It is important to understand that we are talking about a significant number of people with individual barriers, perceptions, which can undermine them and influences which too often discourage activity.”

Read more on the Sport England strategy

• NGB funding system overhauled by Sport England
• Hundreds of millions invested in location-based Sport England pilot
• Sport England readies £250m war chest to tackle inactivity epidemic
• Small local facilities to benefit from increased Sport England support
• Sport England funding: the seven new investment programmes