The Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s report Game On: Community and School Sport lands at an important moment for the sector. It sets out a clear, evidence-based case: demand for sport and physical activity is strong, the benefits are well understood, but the system itself isn’t designed to deliver consistently or equitably.

For those working across Lincolnshire, this is a familiar story. What the report offers is not surprise, but validation. It confirms that the challenges we see locally are part of a wider national picture, and that meaningful change will require alignment between national policy and local delivery.

At Active Lincolnshire, our recent Active Schools Test and Learn work in Boston provides a powerful lens through which to view these findings. It shows how national challenges are experienced at a local level, and importantly, where the opportunities for change lie.

A system shaped by barriers, not behaviour

One of the most important messages from both the national report and our local insight is that a lack of motivation isn’t the issue. Children and young people understand the value of being active. They talk about the benefits in terms of physical health, happiness, confidence and friendships. They describe activity as something enjoyable, social and energising.

However, their ability to take part is shaped far more by their environment than by their intentions. In Boston, children consistently told us that being active outside of school depends on whether it’s affordable, accessible and safe.

The national report reinforces this point, highlighting structural barriers such as funding pressures, limited facilities and uneven provision across communities.

Taken together, this makes a critical point for policy and practice alike. This isn’t a behaviour change problem, it’s a system design problem.

Schools as the foundation but not the full solution

The Committee recognises the central role that schools play in shaping lifelong attitudes to physical activity, while also pointing to inconsistencies in delivery.

In Boston, what we see is slightly different but equally significant. Schools are providing a wide and often high-quality offer, with structured physical activity embedded throughout the school day. For many children, this is where the majority of their activity takes place.

This strength, however, also exposes a weakness. When activity is so heavily anchored in schools, it becomes difficult to sustain outside of them. Participation drops beyond the school day, and opportunities in the community are less visible, less accessible, or less connected.

This highlights a key gap in the system, one also identified in the national report, which is the lack of strong, consistent pathways between school-based activity and community provision. Without these connections, the system struggles to support lifelong participation.

Where the system breaks down

The barriers identified in the national report – funding constraints, ageing facilities and lack of coordination – are all visible at a local level.

In Boston, these challenges are experienced more directly. Cost and transport are major limiting factors. Many children depend entirely on parents to access opportunities, and when time, income or transport are constrained, participation simply stops.

Access isn’t just about whether activity exists, but whether it’s realistically within reach. Facilities may be available, but if they’re too far away or too expensive, they remain out of reach for many families.

Perception of safety is another critical factor. Children spoke openly about avoiding parks and public spaces because they felt unsafe, particularly in urban areas. Issues such as poor lighting, damaged equipment and anti-social behaviour significantly reduce the use of spaces that might otherwise support everyday activity.

At the same time, there are clear differences between communities. In more rural areas, the challenge is distance and limited provision. In urban areas, it’s often about safety and confidence in using existing spaces. This reinforces the need for approaches that are responsive to place.

Inequality is built into the system

The Committee is clear that inequalities in participation remain stubborn and deeply embedded.

Our work shows how these inequalities play out in real terms. Children from lower-income families face multiple overlapping barriers, from the cost of clubs to the availability of transport. These challenges are often compounded by family circumstances, including work patterns and wider pressures.

This means that access to physical activity is not evenly distributed. It’s shaped by where children live, the resources available to their families and the design of the system around them.

What emerges is a clear conclusion: inequality in physical activity is not simply a reflection of individual choices, it’s a consequence of unequal access to opportunities.

Beyond provision. The importance of activation

Much of the national conversation focuses on facilities, and rightly so. The report highlights ageing infrastructure and uneven distribution as key constraints. However, local insight adds an important dimension. In Boston, facilities and spaces do exist, but they’re not always used. This isn’t because they lack potential, but because they’re not always safe, welcoming or aligned with how children want to be active.

Children consistently describe activity in informal terms: playing with friends, cycling, running around in local spaces. Yet much of the system remains focused on structured sport and organised sessions.

This suggests that the challenge isn’t just about providing facilities, but about activating them – ensuring that they’re accessible, appealing and relevant to everyday life.

Designing for how children actually live

One of the strongest findings from our Test and Learn work is that activity is deeply social and informal. It’s shaped by friendships, local environments and opportunities for spontaneous play.

This presents a challenge to traditional delivery models. If provision continues to focus primarily on structured, competitive sport, it risks missing those who are less engaged with that format.

The national report calls for a broader, more inclusive approach, and local evidence strongly supports this direction.

Designing for participation means starting with people’s lived experiences – understanding how they already choose to be active and building from there.

Towards a more connected system

Perhaps the most consistent theme across both national and local insight is the need for better coordination. The issue isn’t a lack of activity, nor a lack of organisations, it’s the way these elements come together, or fail to.

In Boston, strong provision exists within schools, alongside a range of community assets. However, these operate too often in isolation. Pathways are unclear, partnerships are inconsistent and opportunities aren’t always visible or aligned.

The Committee’s call for stronger national coordination must therefore be matched by investment in local systems. This means enabling collaboration, supporting partnerships and creating the conditions for joined-up delivery at place level.

From national ambition to local impact

The report sets out a compelling case for increased investment, a clear national strategy and a stronger focus on inclusion. These are essential building blocks.

But the real test will be whether these translate into meaningful change at a local level. In Lincolnshire, the priorities are clear. We need to strengthen connections between schools and communities, reduce the structural barriers that limit participation and make better use of the spaces and assets that already exist. Just as importantly, we must continue to take a place-based approach, recognising that different communities experience different challenges.

A shared opportunity

Physical activity delivers well-evidenced benefits, from improved health and wellbeing to stronger, more connected communities.

What both the national report and our local work show is that the foundations are already there. Children want to be active. Schools are committed. Communities have assets and expertise.

The challenge isn’t starting from scratch, but connecting what already exists into a system that works for everyone.

Final thought

The message is clear. We don’t lack demand We don’t lack evidence. What we lack is a system designed to deliver consistently and equitably.

If national policy can now align with local insight and invest in the conditions that enable participation, there is a real opportunity to change this.

For us here at Active Lincolnshire, that means continuing to work with partners across the system, listening to communities and building solutions that reflect the realities of place.

Because creating an active county is not just about sport. It’s about ensuring that every child, regardless of their circumstances, has the opportunity to be active as part of everyday life.