London Sport welcomes the Government’s continued focus on supporting local people to shape the places they live to help tackle inactivity and improve health outcomes as set out in the recent announcements on community leadership and neighbourhood funding.
We are particularly encouraged to see some of the London boroughs that face the largest inequalities included in the latest round of community funding. This reflects the importance of sustained, place-based investment in areas facing the greatest inequalities.
However, it is concerning that no London boroughs have been included in the latest allocations for playground funding or high street investment linked to creating safe places for children to play.
As we know, London faces a unique and acute set of challenges – for example:
- London continues to lag behind with high levels of children’s inactivity, as more than half (54%) of London’s children and young people are not meeting the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity.
- Childhood obesity is more prevalent in London than England overall. In 2024/25, some 23.2% of children in Year 6 were considered obese in London, compared to 22.2% in England – with some boroughs reaching 30%.
- More than 1 in 5 children in London are growing up in poverty, with house prices excerbating the problem.
At the same time, access to safe, affordable and appropriate spaces for physical activity is under increasing pressure, from the loss of youth services and leisure facilities to competing demands on public space.
London Sport’s strategy sets out a clear ambition to break the link between inactivity and inequality. Central to this is ensuring that all Londoners, particularly children and young people, have access to safe, welcoming places to be active in their everyday environments.
Our recently published manifesto sets out practical, cost-effective solutions to these challenges and calls for a step change in how we think about physical activity in cities and urban environments. This includes unlocking underused and ‘non-traditional’ spaces, such as high streets, empty retail units and car parks, as well as removing unnecessary barriers to play through initiatives like our More Ball Games campaign.
The absence of London from this latest round of playground and high street funding risks widening existing inequalities and limiting opportunities for children and young people in the capital to lead active, healthy lives.
London Sport’s Chief Executive, Emily Robinson, said:
“We welcome the Government’s commitment to investing in communities and creating more opportunities for people to shape the places they live. It’s positive to see many of our priority areas recognised in this latest funding.
However, it is striking that no London boroughs have been included in the funding for playgrounds and safe places for children to play. In a city where access to space is one of the biggest barriers to being active, this risks leaving too many young Londoners without the opportunities they need to play, move and thrive.
Enabling people to be active must be a shared priority across national, regional and local government. We are calling on central government to ensure that children and young people in London have spaces to play and be physically active, outside, on their doorstep, away from digital screens”.
London Sport welcomes the Government’s continued focus on supporting local people to shape the places they live to help tackle inactivity and improve health outcomes as set out in the recent announcements on community leadership and neighbourhood funding.
We are particularly encouraged to see some of the London boroughs that face the largest inequalities included in the latest round of community funding. This reflects the importance of sustained, place-based investment in areas facing the greatest inequalities.
However, it is concerning that no London boroughs have been included in the latest allocations for playground funding or high street investment linked to creating safe places for children to play.
As we know, London faces a unique and acute set of challenges – for example:
- London continues to lag behind with high levels of children’s inactivity, as more than half (54%) of London’s children and young people are not meeting the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity.
- Childhood obesity is more prevalent in London than England overall. In 2024/25, some 23.2% of children in Year 6 were considered obese in London, compared to 22.2% in England – with some boroughs reaching 30%.
- More than 1 in 5 children in London are growing up in poverty, with house prices excerbating the problem.
At the same time, access to safe, affordable and appropriate spaces for physical activity is under increasing pressure, from the loss of youth services and leisure facilities to competing demands on public space.
London Sport’s strategy sets out a clear ambition to break the link between inactivity and inequality. Central to this is ensuring that all Londoners, particularly children and young people, have access to safe, welcoming places to be active in their everyday environments.
Our recently published manifesto sets out practical, cost-effective solutions to these challenges and calls for a step change in how we think about physical activity in cities and urban environments. This includes unlocking underused and ‘non-traditional’ spaces, such as high streets, empty retail units and car parks, as well as removing unnecessary barriers to play through initiatives like our More Ball Games campaign.
The absence of London from this latest round of playground and high street funding risks widening existing inequalities and limiting opportunities for children and young people in the capital to lead active, healthy lives.
London Sport’s Chief Executive, Emily Robinson, said:
“We welcome the Government’s commitment to investing in communities and creating more opportunities for people to shape the places they live. It’s positive to see many of our priority areas recognised in this latest funding.
However, it is striking that no London boroughs have been included in the funding for playgrounds and safe places for children to play. In a city where access to space is one of the biggest barriers to being active, this risks leaving too many young Londoners without the opportunities they need to play, move and thrive.
Enabling people to be active must be a shared priority across national, regional and local government. We are calling on central government to ensure that children and young people in London have spaces to play and be physically active, outside, on their doorstep, away from digital screens”.
