The Global Sports Council has called for a global ‘social entrepreneurship fund’, where countries could share their experience of sport-related programmes that are having a positive social and financial impact on communities.

The newly created Global Agenda Sports Council met with luminaries from the voluntary, business, media and sports sectors at the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council summit in Dubai.

The 16-member Sports Council includes Central YMCA chief executive, Rosi Prescott; FIFA president Joseph Blatter; chair of Fox Sports Television David Hill; commissioner of the NBA David Stern and Olympics minister Tessa Jowell.

Rosi Prescott said: “We know that sport is such a powerful force for good in our society. The challenge now is for countries around the world to unite behind the common goal of ensuring all communities can reap the benefits of sport. The meeting in Dubai was very important first step towards achieving this.”

“Sport and physical activity is key to strengthening global economies, not only through their ability to boost employment levels, but as a means of easing the pressure on national health services through its promotion of health and wellbeing.

“As the world recession begins to bite, investing in programmes that empower people from all communities to take control of their health should become an even bigger priority.”

The council said there was a need to ‘reinvent sport’ in order to widen its appeal across age groups and to plough some of the vast profits generated by sport to reinvested in grassroots programmes.