Measures introduced by the Chancellor include:

• Investing £18m over two years in up to 200 playgrounds across England, renewing communities and supporting the Government’s commitment to Pride in Place.
• Providing £5m of new funding to support state-funded secondary schools in England in 2026-27 to increase book supplies to support the National Year of Reading.
• Scrapping the two child limit in Universal Credit from April 2026, lifting 450,000 children out of poverty.
• Investing £820m for the Youth Guarantee and £725m for the Growth and Skills Levy to give young people access to high-quality training opportunities and support to earn or learn.
• Launching an independent investigation to tackle youth inactivity, led by the former Health Secretary, the Rt Hon Alan Milburn.
• Creating 250 new Neighbourhood Health Centres to improve patient access to care and an increase in technology budgets to support NHS productivity.
• Reducing the threshold at which the Soft Drinks Industry Levy applies and removing the exemption of milk-based and milk substitute drinks with added sugar, from January 2028.
• Allocating £20m from the Growth Mission Fund to construct a sports quarter in Peterborough.
• Providing a new local growth fund for the 11 mayoral city regions in the North and Midlands to support investment in key local growth projects, aligned to funding for regeneration in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Reviewing value for money across government spending including youth provision, to better align with the ambitions of the National Youth Strategy and maximise the value and impact of out-of-classroom support for young people.
• Delivering a review of childcare provision by the Department for Education, with an ambition to simplify the system for providers and families, making it easier to access childcare.
• Identifying opportunities to partner with the impact economy to crowd more capital and support into the Pride in Place Programme, to strengthen and scale activities to give every child the best start in life.

Responding to the Budget, Youth Sport Trust CEO Ali Oliver MBE said:

“At a time when young people are increasingly sedentary and have fewer opportunities for play, we are pleased the Government is providing investment to support 200 playgrounds across England. Giving children places and spaces in their communities where they can play and have fun is vital to help more children achieve the recommended 60 minutes a day of PE, sport and play, enabling them to unlock the benefits associated with an active start in life.

“With a generation of children and young people facing a myriad of challenges, targeted action to improve skills, opportunities and readiness for the workplace is welcome. The Set for Success programme demonstrates how key life skills including confidence, communication and resilience can be developed through sport, and we encourage the Chancellor and her colleagues to take onboard learnings from programmes delivering impact, especially in reaching those young people otherwise at risk of not achieving their full potential, when developing a vision for this generation’s futures.

“Meanwhile in our sector, whilst there is much positivity about the future PE and School Sport Partnerships Network announced by the Prime Minister earlier in the year, we know many will have concerns about the future of the Primary PE and Sport Premium, and funding for the School Games Organisers Network. Whilst further information was not expected in today’s announcement, we hope the Government will continue working closely with key organisations to bring clarity and build on momentum from the Government’s response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review to deliver a new era where every child can access the life-changing benefits of play and sport.”