Government departments should turn to sport and outdoor recreation as cost effective solutions in combating poor health and declining communities, according to the Sport and Recreation Alliance.

The organisation has published Reconomics Plus, an online resource designed to demonstrate the value of outdoor recreation to the economy.

Put together in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, the report has been published to “prompt government departments to seek cost-effective, preventative responses to issues such as poor health and the disintegration of local communities”.

According to the report, outdoor exercise delivers an estimated £2.2bn (US$2.8bn, €2.6bn) of health benefits to adults in England each year.

Around £11.8bn (US$14.8bn, €13.7bn) is also spent on trips involving outdoor recreation annually.

Emma Boggis, chief executive of the Sport and Recreation Alliance, said Reconomics Plus was created to “serve as an evidence bank” to “collectively raise the profile of the outdoor recreation to national and local decision makers”.

“It should be used to inform conversations on how outdoor recreation can be embedded across government strategies, including those on physical activity, health, education and the environment,” she added.