ENGLISH BASKETBALL HIT BY FUNDING BLOW
- Updated: March 24, 2011
Sport England has slashed the funding it will give to England Basketball by £1.2 million over the next four years.
It comes after published figures showed that the number of adults playing basketball at least once a week in the region has dropped by nearly 32,000 from 186,000 to 154,100.
The governing body’s funding plan had been structured to incentivise increased participation in the sport outside its core affiliated clubs and members.
But the money was dependent on EB producing “a robust strategy for growing the whole sport.” And Sport England have criticised the plans produced and opted to cut its hand-out in a major blow to hopes of capitalising on the 2012 Olympics.
“England Basketball has not demonstrated the necessary focus on improving its plans for increasing participation, despite continued support and encouragement to do so,” Sport England’s Chief Executive, Jennie Price, said. “This was an important factor in our decision.”
As a result of the decision, England Basketball’s ‘whole sport plan’ revenue funding will not see the potential increase over the next two years.
Subject to performance, it will now remain at its current level of £1.35 million per year until March 2013.
In a statement, Basketball England confirmed the decline, but claimed it had been singled out.
“Basketball, is not the only sport reflecting sharply reduced participation numbers from the Active People Surveys, nor is it the worst,” it said.
“As evidenced in its Annual Report, England Basketball’s overall performance in recent years reflects consistent and significant increases in numbers.
“England Basketball will continue to work with Sport England in order to increase regular weekly basketball participation opportunities among people over the age of 15 and outside the governing body’s membership.”
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