Welsh Government must seize Euro 2016 as public health opportunity

Welsh Conservatives are today calling on the Welsh Government to capitalise on Wales’ participation in the Euro 2016 Championship as a means to improve public health and inspire greater participation in physical activity.

The calls come ahead of a Welsh Conservative plenary debate on Wednesday, on the potential of the tournament in France to help tackle major public health challenges.

It follows recent reports which show that one in four adults in Wales is now obese and that more people than ever suffer from diabetes – a disease which accounts for almost 10% of the health budget.

The motion for debate

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

• Notes the immense achievement of the Welsh national football team in participating in the current Euro 2016 Championships in France.
• Recognises the role Wales’ involvement in the tournament could play in encouraging participation in sport, improving public health levels and creating an ongoing legacy for our elite athletes.
• Expresses concern at the findings of the recent Welsh Government Health Survey, which emphasised the scale of the public health challenges facing Wales, and identified 24% of adults are classified as obese, and 59% of adults classified as overweight or obese
• Believes the Welsh Government must work with governing bodies, and key partners, to utilise events such as Wales’ qualification to, and participation in, the Euro 2016 finals, to improve public health and inspire greater participation in physical activity.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservatives’ newly appointed Shadow Spokesperson for Economy, Transport and Sport, Russell George AM, said:

“Despite our rising success on the international sporting front, the Welsh Government has failed to use past major sporting events as a platform from which to drive forward public health messages around the benefits of sports participation and living a more active lifestyle.

“Wales’ qualification for Euro 2016 presents a huge opportunity to spur on the collective health of the Welsh nation.

“Such major sporting events not only spark our national pride, boost tourism levels and raise Wales’ profile, but they can also help to support a broader public health agenda which can help combat disease associated with inactivity and poor lifestyle habits.

“With a quarter of the nation now classed as obese and diabetes rates soaring to unmanageable levels, Wales is in desperate need of an invigorated and effective Public Health campaign to truly change attitudes to health in Wales.

“Today’s debate offers Assembly Members a chance to put on the record some of these issues and collectively explore how best to harness the opportunities that the legacy of Euro 2016, and other competitions like it, will bring for the future health of our nation.”