UK Sport and Sport England to merge after 2012 Olympics

The UK Government has announced plans to merge UK Sport and Sport England, buy the two bodies responsible for distributing National Lottery funding, shop after the London 2012 Olympic Games.

UK Sport funds elite Olympic athletes and promising sports stars, generic while Sports England funds grassroots sport in terms of facilities and coaching.

The merger would see the organisations based as separate divisions under one roof with a single chairman and board.

However, UK Sport chief, baroness Sue Campbell, has warned the the decision could disrupt preparations for the 2012 Games. She said: “This goes further than we had previously expected. What is crucial now is that all sides engaged in this decision understand not only the issues but also the risks involved in such a move.

“We will as always play our part in seeking the best solution for sport and seeking to make the delivery system as efficient as possible.

“But equally we are very aware not only of the existing effectiveness of our operation but the incredible strides we have taken in high performance sport over the past decade, and the significant progress made in developing a system that is not only delivering results like those seen in Beijing but also making the UK the envy of the sporting world.”

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has said the merge will “create a more effective structure to deliver elite sport success and a wider sports legacy from the 2012 Games”.