By Brian Davies, Sport Wales CEO
Shaping the future of culture and sport in Wales
You’ll all be aware that a call for evidence is currently underway from Welsh Government to inform a new 10-year Culture and Sport Strategy.
This presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine what sport and physical activity can do for Wales. The Call for Evidence is open until 18 December, and everyone across Wales, individuals and organisations alike, is invited to contribute ideas on how we unleash the country's true potential.
In this edition of Extra Time you’ll find an article by Owen Lewis, our Director Sport Systems, in which he outlines how we’ll be responding to the call for evidence. At Sport Wales, we welcome Welsh Government’s ambition for Wales to become a culture and sporting powerhouse but we recognise that making that a reality will require the choices, investment and collective action to match.
Something we will continue impressing and shouting about as an organisation is the value of sport in improving people’s lives.
In addition to its ability to inspire and represent the nation, put simply sport also helps us live longer, healthier and happier lives. Sport is and should increasingly be used as a preventative health cure, alongside the place it holds in supporting rehabilitation and recovery.
This is a core theme of our response to the Welsh Government’s call to evidence.
School Sport Survey
The results of the 2026 School Sport Survey will be published on Thursday 12 November.
For more than 15 years, the School Sport Survey has helped us understand what activities children enjoy, what they want more of, how they feel about taking part, and what can get in the way.
Over 100,000 children from schools across Wales took part in this year’s survey and the results will once again offer valuable insight which the sport sector can use to provide sporting opportunities that are led by the needs of young people.
Helping women and girls to thrive in sport
Thanks to all the speakers, practitioners and attendees who contributed to last week’s She Thrives event at the Sport Wales National Centre.
Through expert talks, athlete panels and practical workshops, the event explored female athlete health and shared learning on how coaches, practitioners and sporting organisations can create environments that better meet the needs of women and girls, from grassroots participation to elite performance.
If you missed the event, we have a range of resources on female athlete health, covering topics including the menstrual cycle, nutrition, body image, pelvic health and training through different stages of life.
Among the many topics discussed at the She Thrives event was puberty. Research shows that nearly one in four women and girls in the UK and Ireland take part in less sport and exercise because of puberty or their menstrual cycle.
Coaches, particularly men, may have little knowledge of female puberty. Or they can feel uncomfortable with discussing topics such as periods and menstrual health.
So, I’m really pleased to hear that a new online guide is now available to help coaches give better support to girls through puberty. The guide has been put together by Sport Wales colleagues working in collaboration with UK Coaching and includes contributions from several Welsh National Governing Bodies sharing the ways their coaches and organisations are adapting to create more comfortable environments for girls going through puberty.
Puberty should not be a reason for girls to stop enjoying sport, so please take a look at the guide to find out more.
Happy birthday National Lottery
It would be great to see all of our partners who receive National Lottery funding joining in with the celebrations to mark The National Lottery’s birthday on Thursday 19 November.
The easiest way to take part is by posting ‘Crossed finger selfies’ along with the hashtag #BecauseOfYou to show your gratitude to National Lottery players for helping to fund Welsh sport.
Any organisation (or sports club) that has received National Lottery funding at any time is also welcome to get involved in another upcoming campaign – National Lottery Open Week.
The idea is simple – during Open Week (13-21 March 2027) recipients of National Lottery funding make a ‘special offer' available to anyone who plays The National Lottery. The offer is redeemed by someone showing their lottery ticket, scratch card or proof that they play the lottery online.
The offer could be a ‘buy one get one free’, a free taster session, or a ‘money can’t buy experience’. Find out more and register your offer on the National Lottery website.