Sport in the UK

UK Sport is funded by, and responsible to, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Sport in the UK takes its direction from a wide range of organisations including national and local government, Sports Councils, national governing bodies of sport and specialist organisations, not to mention the many schools and clubs at a local level - across all corners of a devolved United Kingdom.

The system for administering sport has evolved over many years. Many of the world's sports have their roots in Britain, and the structures in place today have developed over time as both participation and competition in sport grew ever more popular.

At Government level, policy direction is provided through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and the devolved administrations through:

• The Department for Environment, Sport and Culture in Scotland
• The Department of Education and Culture in Wales
  
• The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland

These Departments oversee the work of their respective Home Country Sports Councils - the bodies responsible for co-ordinating sport at all levels including performance and development as well as facilities.

The Home Country Sports Councils are:

• Sport England
  
• sportscotland
  
• Sports Council for Wales
  
• Sports Council for Northern Ireland

UK Sport co-ordinates overall policy, the support of elite sport at the UK level as well as UK-wide programmes such as major events. In addition, it manages the international relationships of the UK and co-ordinates a UK-wide approach to any international issues. UK Sport is funded by, and responsible to, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The Sports Councils form an important link between Government policy-makers - at both a national and local authority level - and the numerous sports organisations, serving a diverse range of sports and specialist interests.

The enormous network of sports clubs throughout the UK are administered through their own national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport. These NGBs form the focal point for their sport, providing the link between recreation and development, training and competition as well as facility and policy development. The NGBs are responsible for representing their members' interests to their sport's international federation, as well as implementing and overseeing new policies.

At the elite level, the NGBs work in close conjunction with not only the Sports Councils, but also specialist partner organisations such as the British Olympic Association, the British Paralympic Association and the Commonwealth Games Associations. These organisations work closely to co-ordinate team selection, preparation and logistical arrangements for British and Home Country teams competing in international competition.

At the local level the national governing bodies of sport work alongside local authorities, schools and colleges to provide access to sport and physical education.

Overall, the structure of sport in the UK, although complex, caters for the needs of sport at every level - from grass roots development and recreational sport through to the best sportsmen and women representing the UK on the world stage.