A major new consultation aiming to shape the future of children’s physical activity across the UK has been launched by not-for-profit health body ukactive.
The consultation will focus on developing opportunities in three key areas – the organisations and institutions that children and young people experience; the physical environment that children and young people grow up in; and the social environment that children interact with.
Ukactive chair, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, has called for anyone involved in children’s fitness to take part – from health experts, activity providers, government stakeholders and education professionals to parents and children themselves.
The responses will feed into a new report, to be published at ukactive’s National Summit in September, which will offer a wide-lens view of the opportunities to improve children’s health. It follows on from ukactive’s
Generation Inactive in 2015, a ground-breaking report that laid bare the physical inactivity crisis facing Britain’s children.
Baroness Grey-Thompson said: “Our next report will take us from playground to policy, so this is a chance for you to have your say and fundamentally change the way we approach children’s health through physical activity.
“It seems every day now we read more headlines about rising obesity among our children, but we must take a far broader view of children’s health, with a focus on the proven benefits of physical activity as well as diet.
“We want to hear from the experts on what really works for our children; how best to engage them in physical activity so they can build good habits that last a lifetime and massively reduce their risk not only of obesity but also cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
“Children’s health is key to their happiness and wellbeing, and healthy children are more likely to grow into the healthy, productive adults our society needs.
“It takes a whole community to raise a child and that is why ukactive needs your help to build the evidence base and shape the physical activity landscape for young people.
“By sharing your success stories from our playgrounds, activity centres and communities, you will be telling the UK – and those operating in the corridors of power – what really works for our kids.”
To take part, those working in children’s activities can
complete an online questionnaire at ukactivekids.com. The deadline for responses is Friday 1 June 2018.
