Written evidence submitted by

 Are current sports governance models fit for purpose? o At what level of sport should the government consider spending public money?  What are the biggest risks to the long-term viability of grassroots sport? o What key measures could the Government introduce to increase the resilience of sports clubs and venues?  To what extent should elite professional sports support the lower leagues and grassroots? o How should the Government make this happen?

ENGLAND BOXING

INTRODUCTION

England Boxing is the National Governing Body for Amateur/Olympic boxing in England. There are 981 affiliated clubs with 40% of clubs in the top 20% of areas in the Indices of Multiple Deprivation. This compares with 16% of football clubs and 3% of tennis clubs. Initiatives targeting getting people to be active in areas of deprivation must consider investment in boxing clubs.

The governing body ensures all competitions apply to national and international regulation. We also ensure that each club reaches a set of minimum standards with regards to the quality of the building and equipment used, the training of coaches and welfare officers, and that all competitive boxers have medicals from Doctors and are well matched to provide the safest possible conditions for competitive bouts.

Many affiliated boxing clubs enjoy good levels of financial support with grants, most through Sport England capital and revenue grants. These clubs must meet our minimum standards in order to qualify for these grants. England Boxing is concerned that some boxing clubs who do not affiliate and therefore do not have to meet minimum standards listed above also apply for government funding and many are funded.

As the role of sport for community good has been highlighted in recent years, England Boxing has forged nationwide projects with MIND to tackle mental health issues, Parkinson’s UK to provide exercise for older members and with Home Office projects to tackle youth crime, most notably knife crime and recently a number of clubs have distributed food parcels during the COVID pandemic

Governance

For sport and recreation bodies seeking government money, the governance levels set out by Sport England are about right and correct and help to ensure tax payer and or lottery investment is secure.

Investment at club level, in particular clubs operating in areas of deprivation frequently led by volunteers who are not well versed in traditional governance protocols, needs to be more flexible with an innovative approach. Typically, clubs are asked for a club constitution, named Chair, Treasurer and Secretary and two signatories on a bank account. For some boxing clubs this level of paperwork is not possible. A club that is not able to or prepared to have the minimum levels of paperwork in place is not eligible for funding. Yet some of those clubs may be welcoming over 100 members, mostly young people, four or five nights a week, who all pay a small amount of cash (£2 per night) to help cover costs. Surely those in charge of sports governance and sports funding can find a new way to support those clubs based on the knowledge of what they do and achieve in their community. Supporting testimonials from their NGB, local police, Active Partnership. and possibly local councilor should allow them to be eligible for funding. Risk

 Current risk from COVID results in limited or no footfall into boxing gyms so no means to pay rent and bills. In addition, ambiguous government rules being interpreted differently by local authorities have led to some clubs leaving the NGB and its guidance not to box during lockdown and opening their gyms against the advice of England Boxing. This leads to unsafe, unregulated practice.  Keeping volunteers motivated in an ever increasing risk averse and litigious society  Lack of coherent linked up long term plan/strategy from Government. Central government (DCMS, Education, Health, Home Office, Transport and Treasury) with Local Authorities and third sector need to agree how sport can benefit society and save tax payers money in the future. Money to “sport” from DCMS is now diluted to fund health, crime, transport projects  Lottery reliance, a shift away from lottery playing takes an enormous chunk of funding away from sport  Security of tenure; many clubs rent properties from landlords who will not give long leases thus preventing capital investment in those clubs, a chronic problem for boxing. Incentives for landlords to support voluntary sports clubs would be welcomed.

Elite Funding to grass roots

Every professional boxer learned the sport through an amateur gym, yet the investment from pro back to amateur is minimal and happens by luck rather than design. Other sports can put pressure on the NGB’s that administer wealthy professional sport to put something back into grass roots. Some of the major spectator sports agreed a 5% levy on all TV rights to return to grass roots. Football Foundation and other such projects followed this initiative.

However, the NGB for , British Boxing Board of Control, does not make the money in the sport, that belongs to private businesses and promoters. Government pressure on promoters to contribute 5% of TV income from pro bouts to amateur would make an amazing difference. Likewise, a £1 levy on ticket prices to watch a pro bout and or a levy on boxing betting to support grass roots boxing would help.