ABSTRACT
Sports policy and development in the United Kingdom (UK) has been defined by the irreconcilably dichotomous strands of elite and mass participation sport. A fog of uncertainty has enveloped sports development with regard to mass participation and there are continuing doubts about which organisations are best placed to meet targets that have often been set without full regard to the broader challenge of instigating behavioural changes required from the population. The structure and organisation of sport in the UK is highly complex, with devolved responsibilities in each of the four nations, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, so this chapter examines the development of policies aimed at increasing the participation of adults in sport using England as an example. The chapter addresses sports and physical activity development and analyses the extent to which these two elements of policy have been intertwined in the lead-up to the London 2012 Olympics.
