UEFA EURO 2028 - impacts and legacy: equality impact assessment

Key Findings

Key findings in the existing research piece were:

Age

Participation^[1]:

• Youth football: 84,258 males, 19,074 females.
• Adult football: 55,702 males, 4,714 females.

Physical Activity^[2]:

• 65% of adults meet MVPA guidelines; only 37% of those aged 75+ do.
• Children aged 5–15: 69% meet daily activity guidelines.

Select Initiatives:

• UEFA Disney Playmakers for girls aged 5–8 (2022: 1,162; 2023: 871).
• KDM Centres for girls aged 5–12 (2024: 1,271 participants).
• Football in Schools and Learning to Keep My Brain Healthy support mental health and physical activity.

Sex

Participation^[3]:

• Female coaches: 2,013; male coaches: 18,088.
• Female officials: 100; male officials: 2,226.

Barriers:

• Gender stereotyping, cost, caring responsibilities, male-dominated environments, lack of media coverage^[4].
• Body image concerns: 74% of young women affected^[5].
• Menopause^[6]: 38% of women aged 45–54 do not meet activity guidelines.

Existing activity:

• SPAR Future Stars Football Cup: 3,000+ girls participated in 2024.
• Women and Girls Fund (2019–20): 3,268 reached.
• Active Schools: 2 million+ visits by girls in 2022/23.

Disability

Participation^[7]:

• Approx. 2,000 participants; full audit underway via COMET system.
• Disabled people less active (60%) than non-disabled (90%)^[8].

Barriers^[9]:

• Include lack of provision, low confidence and cost.

Existing activity:

• Motability Scheme partnership with Scottish Disability Sport.
• Mental Health and Wellbeing League, Football Memories, Walking Football.
• Scottish Para Football Game Leader structure promotes inclusion.

Race

Barriers:

• Across behavioural stages: racial discrimination, lack of confidence, cultural beliefs, cost, lack of role models and facilities.^[10]
• Sense of belonging was lower for 25- to 34-year-olds, ethnic minorities and ‘white other’ groups, people living in deprived areas and people who socially or privately rent. ^[11]:
• Some groups were more likely than others to report having experienced discrimination or harassment: for instance, ethnic minorities, disabled people, people who are gay, lesbian or bisexual and those who belong to a religion other than Christianity

Existing activity:

• Targeted investment in clubs supporting refugees and asylum seekers.
• Partnerships with organisations to overcome barriers.

Sexual Orientation & Gender reassignment

Discrimination^[12]:

• 51% witnessed homophobic, biphobic or transphobic behaviour at/near football venues; 15% experienced it personally.

Existing activity:

• Football vs Homophobia Strategy with LEAP Sport Scotland.
• Football Unites eLearning embedded in coach education

The case for increasing participation in the game is clear. According to the 2023 Scottish Health Survey:

• The proportion of adults meeting the recommended levels of physical activity (63%) was not significantly lower than in 2022 (65%) and remained within the overall range recorded between 2012 and 2022 (62- 69%). As in previous years, a higher proportion of men reported having met the guidelines (68%) compared with women (59%).
• Males were more likely than females to adhere to the guidelines across most age groups, most notably among those aged 25-34 (80% and 63% respectively).
• In 2023, 72% of those living in the least deprived areas adhered to these guidelines compared with 50% of those in living in the most deprived areas.
• The proportion of children that met physical activity guidelines in 2023 was lowest among 13–15-year-olds (56%).
• Adherence to the recommendations among females decreased from 74% among those aged 11-12 to 43% among those aged 13-15.

We know from other data that disabled adults, those with mental health conditions and those belonging to ethnic minority groups are also less active.

The Scottish Government is striving to improve the levels of physical activity in Scotland. In September 2024, it published the Physical Activity for Health: Scotland’s National Framework, which sets out eight strategic delivery goals including 'Active Sport and Recreation' to promote physical activity. In addition, in 2022, Public Health Scotland published 'A systems-based approach to physical activity in Scotland A framework for action at a national and local level'. The framework set out strategic outcomes that, if achieved, will be a transformational change in the health and wellbeing of the Scottish population. One of the strategic outcomes is 'Sport and active recreation for all'.

Another focus of the social impact programme is around supporting communities - bringing people together across different backgrounds, instilling pride and sense of belonging. The social impact programme is expected to be community lead which is in line with the Scottish Government’s commitment “to supporting our communities to do things for themselves, and to make their voices heard in the planning and delivery of services.” This should help improve the position outlined in the 2022 Scottish Household Survey, which shows that people from more deprived areas of Scotland have lower levels of social connections in their communities than those from less deprived areas. This includes being less likely to rate neighbourhoods as a good place to live - adults in the 20% least deprived areas were more likely to rate their neighbourhood as a ‘very good’ place to live than those in the 20% most deprived areas (77% in the least deprived areas, and 29% in the most deprived areas); and are more likely to experience feelings of loneliness - those living in the 20% most deprived areas were almost twice as likely to experience feelings of loneliness (30%) as those living in the 20% least deprived areas (16%).

Through engaging with partners, we have decided that the impact and legacy programme will be community led. We feel this will give the best possible avenue to maximise the funding we have available with flexibility to tailor activities to the needs of communities across Scotland. The alternative is to centrally plan the programme on behalf of communities which risks not addressing the needs of local communities. With various commercial sensitivities engagement for this workstream has been limited, however as the programme develops and more information is publicly available, we will endeavour to engage relevant equalities groups and organisations in the development of wider benefit activities.