Sports clubs in the UK have seen membership levels and income increase by an average of 20 per cent in the past two years.

Results from the Sport and Recreation Alliance's (SRA) biennial Sports Club Survey show that the average sports club's income has risen by 19.9 per cent to £42,845 - compared to £35,736 in 2010.

The increase is closely mirrored by a rise in membership numbers. Over the period from 2011 to 2013, adult participating membership levels have risen by 20.6 per cent.

Clubs are also becoming more viable - three in 10 clubs (28 per cent) are now breaking even (5 per cent more than last year).

Many continue to struggle, however, as almost one in four (24 per cent) are still running at a loss.

Perhaps surprisingly, many clubs do not attribute the increases to the London 2012 Olympic Games, with only 13 per cent of clubs saying their membership increased as a result of the Games.

More than a third (38 per cent) of clubs who experienced increasing numbers of adult participants between 2012 and 2013 said that there wasn't a noticeable increase after the Games - suggesting that in many cases membership levels were already on the increase.

Andy Reed, chair of SRA said: "The 2012 Olympics were a timely reminder of what sport can mean to a country but it's community clubs which people go to in numbers whether it's an Olympic year or not.

"People are turning to community clubs more and more to get what they want from life. Clubs don't just offer sport. They also give people camaraderie, friendship, health, enjoyment - and they do it incredibly cheaply.

"These longer-term membership increases are a nod to the fact that sports clubs aren't a relic of the past. "

• The Sports Club Survey is carried out every two years by the Sport and Recreation Alliance's in-house research team. 2,909 clubs responded to the survey. The data has been weighted by sport to be representative of the estimated 151,000 UK clubs. To read more about the report, click here for the SRA announcement.