Gavin Newlands MP pledged his support for grassroots sport and recreation at the inaugural Parliamentary Sports Fair on Tuesday 13 September, organised by the Sport and Recreation Alliance.
The sports fair, which took place on Speaker’s Green, showcased sporting All Party Parliamentary Groups in Westminster to raise awareness about how physical activity can help combat some of the major health and social problems facing the UK.
The cost of health related conditions associated with inactivity, including obesity and diabetes is costing the nation £7.4bn each year. In November 2015, a survey revealed that 79% of people believe that the government should do more to support grassroots sport. Local community sport and recreation clubs and facilities deliver, alongside charities, programmes and initiatives to help make a difference to the physical and mental wellbeing of the community.
To help Newlands champion grassroots sport in Paisley and Renfrewshire North, the Sport and Recreation Alliance has launched Get Your Kit On – A Guide to Grassroots Sport and Recreation. The guide is an online resource that is a hub of key information, contacts and resources to enable members of parliament to engage in Westminster debates as advocates for grassroots sport and, at a community level, support and promote local clubs with their activities.
Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said: “I was delighted to attend the Sports Fair at Westminster organised by the Sports and Recreation Alliance and support their #GetYourKitOn campaign, which raises awareness of the positive influence that physical activity can have in combating serious health problems.
“Sport has always played a big part in my life, and I believe the power of sport can change someone’s life for the better. By investing in sport at a local level we can help ease and solve many of the challenges facing other areas of social policy.
“I am proud to support the #GetYourKit campaign and will continue to promote the positive role that sport can have in our society.”