The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has recognised sporta as an 'excellent example of a good social enterprise' delivering across the cultural spectrum.

The praise came within the DCMS's new Third Sector Strategy publication, which aims to engage with and support the voluntary and community sector.

The new report sets out the Department's vision for its ongoing relationship with the third sector, looks at the measures needed to provide the voluntary and community sector with a healthy environment in which to thrive, and sets out the nature of the department's relationship with third sector organisations and how they can make the partnership stronger and more beneficial to both.

The report says of sporta: "Within our sectors there are some excellent examples of good social enterprise. Social enterprise trust models are beginning to deliver across the cultural spectrum, including sports development, art, libraries, museums and green spaces. These include sports and leisure trusts - sporta represents social enterprises within the cultural and leisure sector in the UK.

"Its membership of 120 leisure trusts and social enterprises has a combined annual turnover in excess of £625m, has more than 210 million customers visiting their facilities each year and employs over 26,000 full time employees. Leisure and Cultural Trusts safeguard, maintain and develop almost 700 leisure facilities across England, equating to approximately 20-30per cent of the total public sector provision.

"As Minister for Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe, has noted, 'I believe sports and leisure trusts have a significant role to play in helping the government, and particularly DCMS, to achieve many of its objectives in the cultural and sporting sectors'."

The report, which builds upon the Department's 2006 strategy, Engaging with the Voluntary and Community Sector, is a result of extensive consultation with a wide-range of stakeholders, including Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs), third sector organisations and external government bodies whose work relates to the voluntary sector.

Photograph: Minister for Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe