Could 2024 have been the year we fully bounced back from the severe setbacks to grassroots sport and recreational physical activity caused by COVID-19? 

The pandemic and its associated social restrictions had a dramatic impact on grassroots participation in sport and other health-enhancing activities. COVID-19 challenged the organisations that deliver vital social and health-related activities, disrupted the habits of active individuals and deprived children of their first social sporting experiences.  

The immediate aftermath raised significant questions: were the organisations and individuals driving the social and recreational sport sector resilient enough to recover? And how eager was the public to resume activities? Strong indications suggest that 2024 was indeed a comeback year and that the sector could now be emerging stronger than before the pandemic. 

Global data such as participation figures is not yet available. Statistics on sports club memberships and employment rates are typically delayed. However, in the first half of 2024, reports from several national grassroots sport organisations indicate that their total membership exceeded that of 2019, the last pre-pandemic year.  

Another strong indicator of the health of the sports sector is employment. Figures presented by the European Observatoire on Sport and Employment (EOSE) showed that sports sector employment in 2023 was 9% higher than 2019 in the European Union and the UK. This is a clear sign of strong recovery. 

These figures also revealed that of the 28 countries researched, 18 had surpassed their 2019 employment levels, while ten were still below them. This suggests an uneven recovery, with some nations bouncing back more robustly than others. 

Time to Invest 

The message to decision-makers is clear: it’s time to invest in grassroots sport and recreational physical activities. Now is the time to support this upward trend, maximise the outcomes, and amplify the positive impact. It is also the moment to build stronger resilience among the organisations and individuals driving this sector. Doing so will secure long-term, sustainable benefits for both individuals and communities.