IN last week’s column, Fly in the Ointment berates Sport England for launching our Active Ageing Fund which is aimed at helping the over- 55s get active.

Fly asks why over-55s have been targeted and suggests that we are discriminating against them with our support for the Canal and River Trust’s project.

Active Ageing is targeted at over 55s because they are much more likely to be inactive than the population as a whole.

We are funding 20 projects which look at differing ways of engaging the over-55s and encouraging them to be more active and healthy.

Arguably, we’re discriminating in their favour.

However, we also have initiatives targeted at other inactive groups, such as students aged 16 to 19 in colleges of further education.

I’m sure that the Canal and River Trust would be very happy to share more with Fly and welcome him/ her, perhaps even on a fly-boat.

Martin Oxley Sport England