The chancellor of the Exchequer’s announcement to the House of Commons on public spending cuts and the likely consequences for public health reminded me of events in June 2010 shortly after the coalition Government was formed.
From 2008 I had been involved in a national lobbying exercise seeking to persuade the Department of Health that, particularly in recognition of the 2012 Olympics, the department should invest directly in physical activity through the County Sports Partnerships. The prevention agenda played to that approach as much as it would now.
Towards the end of 2009 the lobbying met with some success: the partnerships were rebranded as County Sport and Physical Activity Partnerships and Department of Health funding was committed.
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