Differences in formal and informal sports participation at regional level in England

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to provide a regional approach to analyse sports participation in two different contexts: organised/formal versus non-organised/informal participation, using the England's Active People Survey (APS) national dataset. Method: We have estimated two models: first, a general model to explain differences in regional informal and formal participation rates; second, an econometric model dealing with formal participation at a regular frequency. Results: The results emphasise the different roles played by some correlates depending on the context of sports participation under study. Only economic and cultural variables seem to have a general influence throughout all the sports participation contexts. The results reinforce the role played by sport supply and sport funding in some sports participation levels, offering interesting implications for sport policy. The urban environment, for example, appears to be positively related to the transition from informal to formal sport participation. Conclusions: The distinct analysis of the sports participation contexts provides the opportunity to evaluate ways of boosting that participation as well as to suggest some interesting policy implications towards this aim. For example, sporting infrastructure is only influential for the transition from non-participation to formal participation, implying that in general the key question about sport funding and supply is not the amount of funds but rather the direction and aims of sport policy. Finally, the paper offers some explanations about the gender inequality detected in some forms of sports participation. Keywords: sports participation, formal and informal participation, sports infrastructure, Dirichlet model

The impact of the free swimming programme in a local community in the south east of England: Giving with one hand, taking away with the other

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the introduction of the Free Swimming Programme (FSP) in a local community (not identified to preserve anonymity) in the South East of England. The question has been approached in a variety of ways: by using primary quantitative data from leisure centres and logistic regressions based on the Active People Survey (APS). Problems are identified related to the introduction of the FSP in this community and suggestions are made for future policy. A brief examination of swimming participation in England enables researchers to place this community into a national context. The problems and policies of sport organisation developed in this community are not dissimilar to a more general application reflecting the English experience; in this sense it is anticipated that the findings will enable managers of sport organisations, along with public health policy makers, to focus more effectively on raising sport participation. The unique selling points of this article are the examination of FSP for adult participants, the local analysis of junior and senior participation, and the overall assessment of the policy based on APS