ABSTRACT
The Sports Council in Britain is a Government-funded body and the key player in a network made up of other organizations, all concerned, in one way or another, with sport and physical recreation. Those in this network include the governing bodies of sport, the Central Council for Physical Recreation, the National Coaching Foundation and there are many others. Perhaps most importantly from our point of view, the Sports Council can, and often does, powerfully influence the way that local authority leisure departments see their responsibilities. Although it has considerable financial resources, they fade into insignificance by comparison with most of the organizations it does business with. Its power derives in part from its relationship with Government but more from the regard for the expertize and professionalism of its officers held by those with whom they work.
