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14/08/2013
Govt To Spend £5m On Promoting Exercise
The Government has said it is to spend more than £5m on encouraging children and families in the UK to exercise more.
Public Health Minister Anna Soubry called on the nation to "get active and get healthy", as millions of Britons fail to do enough exercise.
It has been one year since the Olympics and Paralympics were staged in London, and the latest government figures have revealed that while more than half the adult population are doing the recommended amount of physical activity, more than a quarter are not doing even 30 minutes a week.
As a result, Minister Soubry warned they are putting their health at risk.
Only a third of boys and a quarter of girls meet the recommendation for at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day, with almost 30% of adults being active for less than 30 minutes per week.
To encourage more people to exercise more, the Department of Health has announced £5m of funding.
The money will be divided as:
The Youth Sport Trust will use the additional £3m to extend Change4Life School Sports Clubs to areas with the highest childhood obesity and build on the success of the 8,000 clubs already established. Last year, more than 100,000 children and young people took part in Change4Life sports clubs with double the amount of primary school children who attended exercising for an hour a day.
Play England will use their £1.1m to help residents and encourage children and families to play together on their streets, reviving old favourites like hopscotch and hide-and-seek. The funding will enable Play England help residents close their roads from time to time to allow children and families to play out in a safer environment.
Earlier this year, the government also announced £300m of investment which will go directly into the hands of primary headteachers to spend on improving sport, PE and encouraging healthy lifestyles for their pupils over the next two years.
Public Health Minister, Anna Soubry, said: "It's fantastic that more than half of English adults are doing the recommended amount of physical activity, but I am shocked that more than a quarter are not getting even 30 minutes of exercise a week.
"We were all inspired by the Olympics and Paralympics and as part of their legacy we want to encourage everyone – children and adults – to get active and get healthy.
"We want to do everything we can to help people lead longer, healthier lives, which is why for the first time ever, we've given local authorities increased and ring-fenced budgets to tackle public health issues in their local area."
(JP/CD)
Public Health Minister Anna Soubry called on the nation to "get active and get healthy", as millions of Britons fail to do enough exercise.
It has been one year since the Olympics and Paralympics were staged in London, and the latest government figures have revealed that while more than half the adult population are doing the recommended amount of physical activity, more than a quarter are not doing even 30 minutes a week.
As a result, Minister Soubry warned they are putting their health at risk.
Only a third of boys and a quarter of girls meet the recommendation for at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day, with almost 30% of adults being active for less than 30 minutes per week.
To encourage more people to exercise more, the Department of Health has announced £5m of funding.
The money will be divided as:
- £3m for Change 4 Life Sports Clubs
- £1.1m for Street Play
- £1m for walking initiatives
The Youth Sport Trust will use the additional £3m to extend Change4Life School Sports Clubs to areas with the highest childhood obesity and build on the success of the 8,000 clubs already established. Last year, more than 100,000 children and young people took part in Change4Life sports clubs with double the amount of primary school children who attended exercising for an hour a day.
Play England will use their £1.1m to help residents and encourage children and families to play together on their streets, reviving old favourites like hopscotch and hide-and-seek. The funding will enable Play England help residents close their roads from time to time to allow children and families to play out in a safer environment.
Earlier this year, the government also announced £300m of investment which will go directly into the hands of primary headteachers to spend on improving sport, PE and encouraging healthy lifestyles for their pupils over the next two years.
Public Health Minister, Anna Soubry, said: "It's fantastic that more than half of English adults are doing the recommended amount of physical activity, but I am shocked that more than a quarter are not getting even 30 minutes of exercise a week.
"We were all inspired by the Olympics and Paralympics and as part of their legacy we want to encourage everyone – children and adults – to get active and get healthy.
"We want to do everything we can to help people lead longer, healthier lives, which is why for the first time ever, we've given local authorities increased and ring-fenced budgets to tackle public health issues in their local area."
(JP/CD)
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