Britain’s major and minor sports have long benefited from government funding - to help develop sporting quantity and quality.

In the last 30 years plus, such funding has been channelled through the Sports Council, which “morphed” in the 1990s into Sport England (and Wales, Scotland and N.Ireland) and UK Sport.

The continuing aims were well expressed by a previous Sport England regime - “More People, More Places, More Medals”.

But we live in changing times. Just four years ago, Sport England – on Government advice – decided to prioritise and concentrated grant aid into just 32 sports, with the monies given based on a “Whole Sport Plan” prepared by the national governing body.

Now, new Sport England chairman Derek Mapp, and CEO Jenny Price, are signalling harder times ahead for sport.

Why? There’s a shift of government and lottery funds into 2012; and there’s huge government pressure on Mapp and Price to concentrate their effort and resources on building participation, for healthy living reasons.

The message to all sports seem to be - demonstrate that you are effective agents to drive up participation; and, medium to long term, plan to raise more of your monies through your own efforts.

There is for ISPAL another message. It’s an old one - sport needs to lobby better; it must make its case to government, bodies like Sport England and leaders like Mapp and Price.

Sport in the UK needs funding for sport’s sake. Sport brings benefits to individuals and the community, far wider than the health gains.

ISPAL stands ready to join with bodies like the CCPR, and with national governing bodies, to help build and mount a major and long term campaign.

Photograph: Sport England chair Derek Mapp