The Daily Mile is aiming to increase
children's activity levels as Sport England invests £1.5 million of National Lottery money
in the groundbreaking scheme.
Earlier this month
Sport England published its first ActiveLives Children and Young People report, which showed that more than 2.3
million children do fewer than 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
This new partnership
with The Daily Mile will fund the recruitment of national and local
coordinators to support and encourage more schools in England to sign up – with
a vision of helping all 20,000 primary schools in the country to take part in
an active mile a day.
A third of children
in England do fewer than 30 minutes of physical activity a day. “Our Active
Lives Children and Young People Survey is the strongest evidence yet that not
enough is being done to support our youngsters and change is needed if we’re to
increase activity levels,” said our chief executive Tim Hollingsworth.
“Through getting
schoolchildren to walk or run for 15 minutes every day, The Daily Mile has been
proven to significantly improve fitness levels.
“As part of our
support of all active mile initiatives, we are delighted to be partnering with
The Daily Mile Foundation and investing £1.5 million of National Lottery money
into The Daily Mile.
“We want to take the
initiative to even more primary schools across the county to improve the health
of thousands more children.”
Founded by former
headteacher Elaine Wyllie in 2012, The Daily Mile currently helps more than
3,500 English schools reach their daily activity target.
The concept is
simple, with classes heading outside to jog or run around the school grounds
every day, rain or shine, at whatever pace suits the child best.
Taking just 15
minutes desk-to-desk, children engaging with the activity are reported to
exhibit improved concentration in class, eat and sleep better at home and
develop stronger bonds with their classmates and teachers.
“Since starting The
Daily Mile six years ago, the progress we have made has been incredible,” said
Elaine.
“With Sport
England’s generous investment of National Lottery funding, The Daily Mile
Foundation can continue to move closer towards our goal of every child in the
UK being able to participate in The Daily Mile.”
Although named The
Daily Mile, the strict distance does not have to be adhered to – although
children tend to average running a mile in the given time – with the scheme
being more about fostering a sense of inclusivity and enjoyment of physical
activity.
“The Daily Mile is a
great initiative that's fun and helps improve children's fitness and mental
health,” said minister for sport and civil society, Mims Davies.
“We know that an
active child is a happier child and this investment will mean many more young
people can take part, enjoy themselves and inspire them to stay active.”
