SkillsActive has welcomed the positive results shown in a recent government report on sport and regeneration but also calls for more to be done to continue the Olympic legacy.

A sports participation report from Sport England says that 15.3m adults now play sport at least once a week; that's 1.4m more than in 2005/6, when the Olympic bid was won.

Ian Taylor, CEO of SkillsActive and Olympic gold medallist, said, “We’re delighted the report finds that London 2012 not only boosted the economy, but also has continued to inspire more people to participate in sports.”

However, the Sport England report also found that more than 52.3 per cent of adults still play no sport at all, and a recent large-scale UK survey showed 25 per cent of boys and 33 per cent of girls aged between two and 19 years are overweight or obese.

Taylor added: “We know children and young people were inspired by the examples of Team GB’s athletes at the 2012 Olympics. Better access to sport and physical activity is the start, but to engage this group of people, a quality experience is needed, and this can only be delivered by appropriately qualified coaches, providers and staff.

“Ensuring the workforce in this sector is sufficiently qualified and capable of performing to high expectations will fully engage and reconnect these people and ensure they commit to a fit and healthy lifestyle.”

He concluded, “Inspiring not only future Olympic sporting champions, but an active, healthy population will take concerted, ongoing investment and people development in the sports and physical activity sector. Only by doing so can we ensure the Olympics legacy continues to be realised.”