Driving sport forward in Torbay

At the recent Annual General Meeting of Sport Torbay, members heard about financial support that has been given by Torbay Council.

As part of the Partnership Administration and Cabinet Member for Finance, together with colleagues, I secured funding to help support sport in the bay for the first time in many years. Funding that had previously fallen victim to austerity cuts.

Since 2021, Sport Torbay has secured around £200,000 to fund initiatives by clubs, associations and individuals to help promote physical activity.

Over 20 individuals have been awarded grants under the Believe to Achieve scheme, which supports their development in their chosen sport. Last year, one such recipient, Paignton gymnast Abigail Martin, represented Team GB at the Paris Olympics.

The second scheme which is administered by Sport Torbay is Back to Sport and has funded around 50 different organisations. This initiative started after Covid and was designed to help clubs encourage people back to active sport. The scheme has been extended to support initiatives that help people take part in any physical activity.

The importance of sport and physical activity is well known, helping to improve physical fitness, mental health and general health and well-being. It also provides positive activities for young people to engage in.

Prior to 2021 there was little or no investment from Torbay Council for sport, but the Partnership Administration changed that. Last year the grant was set to be cut until I, together with Jim Parker who chairs Sport Torbay and is himself a veteran of Barton Cricket Club, lobbied the Conservative-led council to reinstate the grant.

Roll forward a year and once again it appeared that not only was the grant not included in the budget, but there were plans to increase pitch fees by a whopping 15%. I understand that this has been changed to 3.5% in line with all other fees.

At the time of writing, I remain hopeful that £75,000 will be established in the base budget, so Sport Torbay can continue to support sport and physical activity across Torbay.

It is not just financial support that sport needs, there is a desperate need to invest in the infrastructure of sport.

Back in 2019, I met with Upton Athletic who play football at Torquay’s Armada Park and I visited the changing rooms, which were long past their sell by date. The club were spending money on regular patch-up repairs, which was like putting a sticking plaster on a gaping wound. After five-years of lobbying, late last year their fully refurbished changing rooms were re-opened.

Currently, the arson-hit changing rooms at Torre Valley North are being refurbished, but much more needs to be done. The current state of Torbay’s playing pitches is not good.

Clubs that have taken on long leases are able to invest in their facilities, which is indeed welcome, but the majority of public pitches have a massive backlog of investment.

I will continue to advocate for the necessary funds to be identified to invest in such facilities and indeed all of our parks and greenspaces. That is why I called for a £500,000 starting pot of cash to be identified to help refurbish our decaying play parks where there is an estimated £15m backlog of repairs, maintenance and replacements.

Such parks are not just a place for youngsters to play, but they are a pathway towards improved health and well-being and positive exercise.

Torbay must take note of the longer-term benefits of such investment. For far too long, sport and our parks have been the poor relation and it is time that the Council re-prioritised these essential assets in our communities.

Of course, there is a mountain to climb, but each conquest starts with a small step, and I am confident that working properly with residents, stakeholders and grant funders – we can take significant strides forward if the will of the council is with us.