Gliding economic and social value
Economic value
The recreational air sport of gliding is part of a wider business and general aviation (GA) sector that is important to the UK, with an overall economic benefit of some £3bn per year.
Gliding delivers training of future pilot, ground-based aircraft engineer and technician skills, underpins the development of it’s participants, and supports local tourism. The annual contribution that gliding makes to the UK economy excluding social value has been estimated at £35.1m*.
Social value
The total social value generated by all community sport and physical activity in England in 2022/23 was £107.2 billion**.
In common with other community sports, with its mix of a mix of physical and mentally stimulating activity within a volunteer led and mutually supportive outdoor environment, gliding provides several primary and secondary social benefits, including very significant health benefits which result in reduced GP and mental health service use.
Gliding clubs contribute to their local communities by providing sport and social facilities.
Volunteering not only enables participation opportunities for others but significantly boosts the wellbeing of volunteers themselves.
The need to be physiologically fit to fully participate encourages a healthy lifestyle and diet.
Physical effort is required to participate, particularly with the essential ground based support activities, making it a moderate to high intensity activity that can improve cardiovascular fitness.
Participation in an absorbing activity helps to reduce stress and to improve mental well-being.
And gliding is an excellent vehicle for personal growth and development, particularly among young people, including:
- developing teamworking abilities
- building trust and confidence
- developing self-esteem and self-worth
- developing or learning soft skills that can help with all aspects of life
- acquiring aviation related skills, knowledge, and ‘airmindedness’
- connecting with nature and the environment
*DfT ‘Economic Value of GA’ 2015, adjusted for inflation November 2024.
**Sport England ‘Social value of sport and physical activity’ 2023.