8. Debate on the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee Report: The impact of COVID-19 on Sport

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:57 pm on 8 July 2020.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mick Antoniw Mick Antoniw Labour 4:57, 8 July 2020

Deputy Presiding Officer, that was a very, very comprehensive and full report on what, I think, is an excellent short report that has been to the point, that has provided a considerable amount of very important data on the impact on sport. And the important point out of it, really, to me, is this: firstly, it's going to be the grass roots that are going to be really heavily affected in our communities, and that is where we need to have some focus.

Many clubs are now preparing to return. I'm very pleased that some of our councils have had foresight to try and do work to prepare for that. For example, Rhondda Cynon Taf in my own area have been cutting the fields because of the risk of actually losing those fields for a year or two from the fact that they are not regularly cut. So, at least some preparations have been taking place.

For me, what we've been able to start identifying, I think, is a new way of looking at sport. Because the interaction between sport, health, morale, community, well-being, the linking between education and health, it seems to me, are very, very important. And how we go forward, I think looking at sport and the role it plays in a different way, I think, is going to be extremely important, and that point, of course, came out in the evidence that we had.

I'm also particularly concerned about some of the lesser-known sports that quite often have quite a degree of support: for example, basketball, Team Wales basketball, who've performed very, very well, and Team Wales ParaCheer, who performed in this Assembly not so long ago. Now, they don't fall within the normal identification of sports, but they are sports—a combination of sport and dance. And, of course, there are other sports around. I would actually describe some of the dance schools as sports.

In my constituency, we have Dance Crazy Studios that has 600 pupils, that's produced UK champions amongst young people. It is an absolutely incredible and fantastic performing body. But, of course, they are still within the same position as, for example, gymnasiums and others are, unable to perform, even though there are so many young people, children, who, during this summer, I think, would relish the opportunity now to be able to engage in activity. And I know, for example, with Dance Crazy, they say, 'Look, we'll do it outside; we will socially distance; we will do everything that is necessary.' And I think we have to actually look at some of these in our communities in terms of the specific contribution they will make to young people's well-being and welfare over the coming few weeks.

There is the challenge now of our leisure centres, which we know do have real challenges, and the impact on local authorities in terms of the lost income, but also in terms of the fitness, because many of our leisure centres are predominantly based in our working-class communities. The proportion of people who use them rather than private gymnasiums, and so on, are very much from our working-class communities. So, actually, support for councils who have lost that income, and even when these leisure centres start running again, they will be on reduced numbers.

And the final point I make relates to recommendation 3, which is with regard to the point that Helen Mary Jones made so well, which is to do with the issue of inequality. It is the working-class communities that are going to be hardest hit; the most deprived communities are going to be hardest hit culturally, in terms of activity, in terms of health and in terms of access. It seems to me what would be a very attractive option would be if Welsh Government did a very specific equality assessment in terms of sport and the impact on our communities for when it comes to actually prioritising those very resources that we have available to us. Thank you.