Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs) are vitally important places for young people and yet they are all too often overlooked as important community spaces and important building blocks of our social infrastructure.

They are spaces where young people socialise, develop friendships and at the same time engage in a wide range of sports and activities. A MUGA can be one of the few places in a community in which young people actually feel a sense of belonging. Space for young people is disappearing at an alarming rate and this why MUGAs are such important places.

Over recent years there has been a huge increase in cuts to the provision of facilities for young people, so it is vital to protect, and increase the number of MUGAs that are available,

Normally free to use at any time of day, MUGAs are often ideally located for parents to be able to supervise their children when they use them. Today’s MUGAs are all-inclusive spaces, not just limited to football or basketball. They are used by people of all genders, backgrounds, and abilities.

In addition to the social benefits that MUGAs provide there are also massive health benefits.  Whilst the UK government does have its Childhood obesity: a plan for action a lot of it revolves around nutrition and liaising with manufacturers to reduce sugar intake. That is all well and good but in addition to diet, young people need freely accessible MUGAs because having fun via sport is the motivating factor to a young person exercising.

MUGAs can also potentially be places that generate employment, both paid and unpaid, with roles evolving for sports coaches to deliver and co-ordinate sporting activities to the community. These roles are very appealing to young people and something we urgently need more of.

So, MUGA’s can fulfil a unique role in supporting the mental and physical health of young people of all ages as well as potentially generating employment – a huge win for our communities.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our blog ‘MUGAs – Unlocking Their Potential and Their Impact on Our Communities’. If Lightmain can assist with your MUGA requirements please don’t hesitate to contact us.