Surrey Youth Games will not go ahead in 2025

An event to encourage young people to play sport in Surrey will not run in 2025 after more than 25 years.

The Surrey Youth Games, held previously over one day or over a weekend for thousands of children from across the county, will not take place following a "review of the format of the event", organisers Active Surrey said.

Instead, six of Surrey's 11 district and borough councils will provide access to "fun, free and local activities" and a further two are running a bursary scheme which families can apply for.

An Active Surrey spokesperson said: "Surrey County Council and its partners remain committed to providing opportunities for young people to engage in sport and physical activity."

They said format and participation in 2025 had been determined at a borough and district level.

Councils in Elmbridge, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Guildford, Woking, and Reigate and Banstead will provide activities including cricket, dance, tennis, and boxing.

While Surrey Heath and Mole Valley will provide bursaries for access to sport.

A Mole Valley statement previously said: "Sadly, after 25 successful years, the Surrey Youth Games, an annual multi-sport youth programme offering free sports training for 7-16 year olds, is not going ahead in 2025.

"This presents a need to provide alternative avenues to sport for individuals and families where finance is a barrier to participation."

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council has been contacted to ask what provision it is planning to encourage young people to take part in sport.

Deb Shiner, chair of Tandridge District Council's community services committee, said the authority worked closely with leisure provider, Freedom Leisure, to support Friday night leisure activities for young people and supported smaller leisure projects in the community.

She also pointed to funding provided for leisure activities for young people such as teen cycling and girls fitness sessions delivered by Freedom Leisure and the refurbishment of playgrounds in the district.

The council said it had also invested a "substantial amount" into improving tennis courts and multi-use games courts in the district.

"The idea is to provide better opportunities for children to stay active and enjoy a variety of sports," Ms Shiner added.

A Waverley Borough Council spokesperson said the authority was offering a range of free and inclusive activities to communities in the summer, including leisure centres open days in partnership with Everyone Active.

They added: "These events will feature a variety of fun, free activities and provide clear pathways into local clubs and opportunities; made possible by our close collaboration with community partners."

They also said free places would continue to be offered to certain families at David Lloyd Farnham's summer camps, and that free workshops where children could learn to skateboard from professional instructors would return in August.

Following 2024's games, Active Surrey chief executive Elizabeth Duggan said the organisation was "delighted" that almost 1,000 children and their families, from 244 schools across Surrey, were given the opportunity to take up a new activity through the games.

Active Surrey is a not for profit organisation, hosted by Surrey County Council. ​

A report two years ago said the Surrey Youth Games was the largest multi-sport youth programme in the South East and focused on "helping beginners to be active, particularly children living in Surrey's least advantaged communities".

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