Climate Change Is Now Affecting the Nation’s Ability to Be Active

Recent heat (May 2026) has highlighted the issue, with temperatures reaching 35.1°C in London and health alerts issued across England. While warm weather can encourage outdoor activity, many organisations across sport and community settings are facing a different reality, with sessions being cancelled, shortened, or moved indoors due to safety concerns. 

Playgrounds, parks, and sports surfaces can become too hot to use, while a lack of shade makes many outdoor spaces inaccessible during peak temperatures. For older adults, disabled people and those with long-term health conditions, simple activities like walking can become more difficult without rest areas, water access, or tree cover. 

This is creating a new barrier to participation. Alongside existing challenges such as cost and access, climate change is making it harder for people to be active safely. The impact is not equal, with communities that have fewer green spaces or poorer facilities often most affected. 

The consequences go beyond sport. Physical activity plays a vital role in supporting physical and mental health, and reduced access risks widening existing health inequalities. 

Deliverers across the sector are already adapting, but repeated disruption to sessions and routines is making participation harder to sustain particularly for those who are least active. There is now a growing need to design environments that support activity in a changing climate. More shade; greener spaces, cooler surfaces and accessible facilities will be essential to ensure people can continue to move safely. If the UK is serious about building a more active nation, adapting to climate realities is no longer optional-it is essential. 

Why Sports has a clear mission: “to shed light on the barriers that hinder physical activity and well-being and in turn, to facilitate a more profound understanding of why the nation is not as active as it could be.” 

You can read more about Why Sports and access the full article: HERE 

The Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership (HSP) recognises its responsibility to minimise its impact on the environment and formally commits to being an environmentally responsible organisation and embedding environmentally sustainable principles and practice within our work. We are committed to advocate with partners for environmentally responsible practice and the value of physical activity in creating a more environmentally sustainable world.  

Our website provides information on the various funding sources that can be used to support sport and physical activity initiatives and enhance community engagement. This includes The Movement Fund | Sport England which can grant between £300-£15,000 for projects that improve both environmental sustainability and provide physical activity opportunities.