Save our sport

Whether it’s the need to eat five portions of fruit or vegetables a day, choose only organic produce in a bid to stave off cancer, or cut down on heavily-processed meat products, the amount of information out there can be daunting.

One area, however, not in dispute in the quest for optimum health is the need for regular exercise.

This week, the chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, Professor Steve Field, called on the nation to get fit or face the consequences.

Nationally the message to shape up is clear, as reiterated in the Change 4 Life campaign that urges families to take steps to lead more active lifestyles.

In Newark, however, the message seems somewhat different.

Several hundred footballers and cricketers, of many ages, face the prospect of having nowhere to play the sports they love if Nottinghamshire County Council sells the former NSK sports ground on Elm Avenue, Newark.

Despite the site being used for cricket and football since 1931, that sporting heritage is under threat with a generous benefactor needed to buy the area and safeguard its community use for future generations.

If the county council had any regard for the young sports enthusiasts of Newark, and the health of people in the town, it would ensure the ground was retained as a sports venue.

Enough sites in and around Newark are being earmarked for development, so the possibility of 16 acres of green space in the town centre being lost under concrete is unthinkable.

Groups such as NSK Sports and Social Club, which leases the Elm Avenue ground, are the lifeblood of the Newark community and every effort should be made to ensure they thrive, not just for health benefits but for the good of the town.