...by Jonathan Woods

So, here we are in the midst of yet another review of the nation's favourite whipping boy!

To put the remarks that follow into context; Sport England is to KKP - a key client, a funder or supporter of many of the projects upon which we work, and to which we have provided advice and a home to many valued friends and colleagues.

Taking a step back, however, one can understand critics of the organisation who, over time, have become frustrated at the regular moves of goalposts, the frightening number of changes of key personnel (especially at the Support Centre in London) and its seeming inability to avoid being in the firing line.

In its defence, however, in a domestic environment in which the nation's QUANGOS appear to hover only inches from the fingertips of the UK Sports Minister and DCMS civil servants, what chance has Sport England realistically got, given the almost bewildering frequency with which it is asked to adapt, to provide a consistent lead to its partners and dependents?

This being said, some coherent messages have been flowing out of the organisation, for example, in relation to facilities planning. County sports partnerships are also in place across England and are being supported to complement and work with the network of school sport partnerships. In addition, governing bodies of sport either have, or are being encouraged to modernise and improve the way that they function.

Maybe the current review will provide it with some breathing space and enable it to be what most of its partners would like to see; a strong, ‘adequately independent', appropriately funded, consistent, organisation with the capacity to (at least in the medium term) establish policy, set targets and develop funding priorities and be allowed to stick to them.

As the (former) Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport; James Purnell stated in his article in Leisure Opportunities (22 January 2008): ‘.We have never had a better opportunity to get a generation passionate about playing sport. It's an opportunity that we must not waste.'