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Cuts at Sport England

Martyn Ziegler
Thursday 24 April 2003 00:00 BST
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Sport England will be reduced to less than half its original size following a new round of job cuts, it was announced yesterday.

The organisation, which distributes Lottery money to sport, will have staff numbers reduced to 250 from the 570 who worked there six months ago. Sport England, also known as the Sports Council of England, had already shed 170 jobs before Christmas.

The move will save around £12m a year and the greatest impact will be seen at Sport England's London headquarters with only 100 people remaining out of an original staff of 330.

Roger Draper, confirmed as the organisation's chief executive last month, said: "This is a difficult and challenging time for everyone at Sport England, but the measures we are taking now are necessary to ensure the future success of sport in England."

Draper said the reorganisation would increase the proportion of Government and Lottery funding going directly to sport at national and community level, and allow more decisions to be made at a regional level.

Sport England's lottery income has fallen by around £100m in the past four years from a high of £265m to an expected total of less than £170m this year.

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