With the Paris 2024 Olympics now behind us, attention shifts to the local sports facilities that play a crucial role in nurturing future Olympians. Athletes often credit their early access to community sports venues as key to their success, and recent data shows that Mendip is well-equipped to offer just that.

According to Sport England's latest figures, Mendip boasts 280 sports facilities across the district. This includes a wide range of options for residents to stay active, from grass pitches and gyms to sports halls and swimming pools.

Breaking down the numbers, half of Mendip's sports facilities are grass pitches, but the district also offers 16 gyms, 29 sports halls, and 19 swimming pools. For those with a passion for racquet sports, there are 19 outdoor tennis courts, eight squash courts, and two indoor tennis centres available.

The Office for National Statistics highlights that rural areas like Mendip generally have more sports facilities per person compared to urban regions, which could be why residents here are more likely to stay active. In Mendip, there's one sports facility for every 415 residents, or one for every 835 residents when excluding grass pitches—figures that are better than the national averages.

However, Sport England is keen to address the inequalities that still exist in access to sports facilities. Lisa Dodd-Mayne, an executive director at the organisation, said, "We know that where you live directly impacts how active you are. That is why we target our funding and resources to where they are most needed to ensure that the communities in greatest need are able to be physically active in their local area."

The importance of accessible sports facilities is echoed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which stated, "As the Culture Secretary has made clear, talent is everywhere but opportunity is not, and we are committed to giving people of all ages access to sport, including funding grassroots facilities. We want to give everyone the chance to emulate their sporting heroes and achieve their dreams, wherever they come from."