In her Christmas Message, the Queen singled-out sports club as important in bringing together people from all backgrounds, from all walks of life and from all age groups and helping people develop physical fitness, social and community skills.
In the parks of towns and cities, and on village greens up and down the country, countless thousands of people every week give up their time to participate in sport and exercise of all sorts, or simply encourage others to do so. These kinds of activity are common throughout the world and play a part in providing a different perspective on life.
Apart from developing physical fitness, sport and games can also teach vital social skills.
None can be enjoyed without abiding by the rules, and no team can hope to succeed without co-operation between the players. This sort of positive team spirit can benefit communities, companies and enterprises of all kinds.
Happy Christmas!