The Spirit of Swindon: Sport, media and culture: Creating opportunity for rest and play

By Tom Wilkes of Spirit of Swindon

Poverty, health and education have all featured in our articles so far. The connection between these topics and economic inequality seems clear enough but the link with sport, media and culture is less obvious.

Participation in sport and culture, both recreational activities, can provide for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual refreshment and stimulation, distinct from the working and home environments.

Approximately 35% of people in Swindon participate in sport at least once a week, figures comparable to the national average, with disabled people and those from lower-socio-economic backgrounds tending to be less active. While council services try to signpost residents on to community based sport and the facilities available, the way many live their lives, for example working unsociable hours or on shifts, makes them less likely to take part in sport during their resting periods.

The likelihood of engaging in recreation through culture and sport is linked to education, health and opportunity. The more highly educated a person is, and the higher their income, the more likely they are to participate in active recreation; a link between education and culture recognised and used nationally. As noted in April’s Link, Swindon scores particularly poorly on this criteria.

Nevertheless, on the positive side, Swindon residents make greater use of our museums, arts, sports and heritage assets than the average for England  even though the town has fewer of them than the national average. This signals a demand for greater provision, one which the proposal for a new Swindon Museum and Art Gallery will meet. The annual Literature Festival is a good example of an event that offers many opportunities for participation in cultural activities of various forms.

Where does media fit in to this picture? Politically or commercially biased agendas have taken over tracts of the media as revenue streams have been declining. Across the Atlantic we have seen how one-sided media channels can feed division and confirm prejudices. In the UK, and here in Swindon, this is less prevalent but still present. Locally, newspapers and magazines are at their best when they act as ‘good neighbours to the town’, providing fair, balanced and accurate coverage for their communities. Part of this involves raising uncomfortable issues and asking difficult questions, not as a way of gaining listeners or readers but to serve the common good.

The factors underlying economic inequality are complex and multiple but there are ways of addressing them. Spirit of Swindon recognises that economic inequality is societal and therefore political, however ideological dynamics sometimes prevent us from facing its challenges. Local Authorities across England have sought to meet increasing costs and financial restraints by selling assets which have affected sport and culture at the ‘grass roots’ level. Although Swindon has, until recently, been better placed than many parts of the country, the number of people employed in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector in Swindon has fallen by 30% over a five year period.

What one thing you can do this month (apart from participating in sport and buying a ticket for a Lit Festival event) is to read around each topic and ask awkward questions. Actively seeking alternative voices can be difficult but also rewarding and can encourage all of us to transcend party ideology.

Spirit of Swindon has emerged from a gathering of people who want to raise consciousness of the impact of economic inequality and help Swindon offer a lead to other towns and cities in the UK. We are indebted in this article to: Dave Bell – Chair Swindon Sports Forum, Tom Frost – Senior Public Health Intelligence Analyst, the KLOE report produced by Phil Back in 2013 and views from Jamie Hill – Link Editor.