Why Sports 2027

Stronger Communities, Healthier Nation

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The View, The Royal College of Surgeons of England, London 

11th of March 2027

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For more than a decade, the Why Sports conference has brought together the people, organisations and ideas shaping the future of sport, physical activity, health and wellbeing. In 2027, as physical inactivity continues to rise across the UK and around the world, our message is clear: It All Counts!

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This conference is built on a simple but powerful belief: no single solution, no single profession, and no single organisation can tackle inactivity alone. Real progress depends on all of us. The planners and practitioners. The educators and employers. The health professionals and community leaders. The investors, developers and decision-makers. The people shaping places, supporting schools and young people, building partnerships and creating opportunities for healthier lives.

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Those working across the sector are not new to this challenge. They live it every day. They understand the frustration of slow progress, the pressure of shifting priorities and the reality that many of the barriers facing communities are becoming more complex, not less. They have seen mistakes made, successes championed, and opportunities missed. Yet they also understand the power of communities, the importance of early experiences for children and young people, the value of collaboration and the need to keep moving forward together. 

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Why Sports 2027: Stronger Communities, Healthier Nation, will create space for those realities to be heard. It will reflect the journeys, ambitions, concerns, and determination of a sector that cares deeply about the nation's health and well-being. It will provide a platform for strategic leaders to share insight, direction and practical action, while creating the conditions for honest discussion, shared learning and meaningful connection.

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Through thought-provoking debate, real-life community stories and sector-leading insight, the conference will shine a light on the many people, places and partnerships influencing health and wellbeing across the nation. It will explore how healthier lives are shaped not only through sport and formal activity, but through schools, streets, facilities, neighbourhoods and the everyday environments that make movement possible. It will celebrate what is working, challenge what is not and inspire the relationships, ideas and action needed for the years ahead. That broader framing is very much in step with Game On’s emphasis on cross-government action and the role of planning, transport, education and local communities in supporting participation. 

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This is more than a conference. It is a chance for the sector to come together with purpose — to listen, to learn, to share best practice, to build new relationships and to strengthen the platform developed over the past ten years.