Grassroots Clubs Empowered to Combat Climate-Driven Inactivity

As of October 16th, 2025, grassroots clubs in the UK are being empowered to combat the growing issue of physical inactivity driven by extreme weather events. According to Sport England, nearly two-thirds of adults and children have been doing less activity over the past 12 months due to these climate-related disruptions.

In response, Sport England has made £47.5 million in funding available since 2023 to help sports clubs become more sustainable and adapt to the challenges posed by extreme weather. "We know that 120,000 grassroots football matches were called off last year, simply because of flooded pitches. This problem is real, and our problem is our own adaptability," said Sport England's chair, Chris Boardman.

The impact of physical inactivity is significant, with data showing it is associated with one in six deaths in the UK. "It's absolutely huge for society," Boardman added, "both in financial terms, for the economy and people's quality of life. A lot of that is exacerbated by extreme weather which we know is just getting worse."

Grassroots clubs are already taking action, with Whalley Range Cricket Club in Manchester planting native trees to better manage excess water from flooding, and Oxford Harlequins RFC receiving a £15,000 grant to enhance the resilience of their facilities. Boardman believes that if all 150,000 local clubs and community groups across the country take small steps, it can "aggregate into real change."