Volunteering
- Just under one in six (16%) respondents are currently volunteering in sport and physical activity, which is higher than Jul 23 (12%).
- Current volunteers are significantly more likely to be male (20% vs 11%), aged 16-34 (28% vs 16% vs 6%), from higher socio-economic backgrounds (ABC1) (22% vs 9%), from an ethnic minority group (37% vs 13%) and to have children aged 15 or under in the household (24% vs 11%).
- One in three (34%) respondents say they are likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity in the next 12 months, which is higher than Apr 24 (30%).
- 16-34s are significantly more likely than 35-54s and 55+ (53% vs 41% vs 14%) to say they are likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity, as are those from higher socio-economic backgrounds compared to lower (42% vs 25%) and respondents with children 15 or under in the household compared to those without (53% vs 23%).
- Just under half (47%) of those who volunteer in sport do so through a coaching role, in line with Apr 24 (47%).
- Among respondents who are currently volunteering in sport, those from higher socio-economic backgrounds (ABC1) are significantly more likely than those from a lower socio-economic background (C2DE) to volunteer through a coaching role (55% vs 32%).
- Just under two in five (38%) of those who have stopped or paused their volunteering in the past 12 months were previously in a coaching role.
- Of those who are likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity in the next 12 months, around two in five (39%) intend to undertake a coaching role.
Cost-of-living
- Just over one in three respondents (36%) say that the cost-of-living crisis has had a negative impact on their ability to be active.
- 16-34s and 35-54s are significantly more likely than those aged 55+ (36% vs 50% vs 26%) to agree that the cost-of-living crisis has had a negative impact on their ability to be active, as are those with children aged 15 or under in the household compared to those without (47% vs 30%).
- Although almost half (49%) of respondents say the changes in the cost-of-living have not impacted their participation in sport and physical activity, just under a third (29%) say they have been doing less sport and physical activity due to changes in the cost-of-living.
- Respondents living in the least deprived and mid-deprived areas are significantly more likely to say the changes in the cost of living have not impacted their participation in sport and physical activity compared to those from the most deprived areas (54% vs 62% and 44%).
- Respondents aged 16-34 and 35-54 are significantly more likely than those aged 55+ to say they’ve been doing less sport and physical activity due to changes in the cost-of-living (37% and 41% vs 16%), as are those with children aged 15 or under in the household compared to those without (41% vs 23%).
Major events
- One in four respondents (25%) have watched a major sporting event in the past 3 months and been inspired to take part in physical activity as a result.
- Male respondents are significantly more likely than female respondents to have watched a major event and been inspired take part in physical activity (29% vs 20%).
- Respondents aged 16-34 and 35-54 are significantly more likely than those 55+ to have watched a major event and been inspired take part in physical activity (38% and 33% vs 10%).
- Respondents from higher socio-economic backgrounds (ABC1) are significantly more likely to have watched a major event and been inspired to take part in physical activity than those from lower groups (C2DE) (32% vs 16%).
- Among respondents who have watched a major sporting event in the past 3 months and been inspired to take part in physical activity, around one in five say they were inspired by Euro 2024 (22%) or the Olympics (20%).
- Among respondents who have watched a major sporting event in the past 3 months and been inspired to take part in physical activity, nearly three in four (74%) say they intend to continue doing this physical activity long term (six months or more).
Sports club membership
- Less than one in six (16%) respondents are currently a member of a sports club.
- Male respondents are significantly more likely than female respondents to currently be a member of a sports club (24% vs 9%).
- Respondents aged 16-34 and 35-54 are significantly more likely than those 55+ to currently be a member of a sports club (25% vs 16% vs 11%).
- Respondents from higher socio-economic backgrounds (ABC1) are significantly more likely to be a member of a sports club than those from lower groups (C2DE) (22% vs 11%).
- Ethnic minority respondents are significantly more likely than white respondents to currently be a member of a sports club (30% vs 15%).
General election
- More than half of respondents (54%) believe it is important that the newly elected government prioritises sport and physical activity.
- Male respondents are more likely than female respondents to say it is important (57% vs 51%).
- Respondents aged 16-34 and 35-54 are significantly more likely than those 55+ to say it is important (57% and 60% vs 47%).
- Respondents from higher socio-economic backgrounds (ABC1) are significantly more likely to believe it is important that the newly elected government prioritises sport and physical activity than those from lower groups (C2DE) (60% vs 47%).
