The organisation of postal sport

The long tradition of sport in the Post Office is closely connected to the need to be fit enough to perform the duties postal work requires. Messenger Boys had official drill and daily exercise until 1920, as we can see from the picture here.

In the 1930s the government worked to promote physical fitness through measures such as the Physical Training and Recreation Act of 1937. Sporting clubs and associations flourished in the Post Office and ranged from Departmental teams such as the Accountant General's Department Swimming Club to regional bodies such as the Yorkshire Postal and Telegraph League or the London Junior Postal Athletics Association.

After World War 2, clubs had to be reformed. Staff had moved around a lot, which split organisers and made contact difficult. The grounds that had been used pre-war were not available and changes in working conditions made fixtures difficult. Finances were also tight. Nevertheless, the enjoyment of sport remained a powerful social force in the postal service.

At Mount Pleasant, a Sports and Social Club was formed in 1946. The Post Office Magazine described it as "...momentous in the history of Mount Pleasant. The efforts of the Mount’s various clubs are now coordinated to achieve the maximum support for each other: membership has already reached the four-figure mark". By 1970 there were over 700 recreational clubs within the Post Office, including over 40 different sports.

The Post Office Recreation Council (PORC) was set up in 1970 as a focal point for effort, encouragement, coordination, information guidance and help. It organised events such as the National Swimming Championships, and the Presentation Tray for the event was presented to winners until 1999 (shown above on the left).

The Royal Mail Sports Foundation succeeded the PORC in 2002 to provide grants for the provision of equipment, trophies and training for teams such as the Royal Mail squash team.

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