Access Sport’s Post

Significant and sustained action is required to address children's activity levels in the Black Country and across the UK, according to today's Sport England report. Major inequalities remain in activity levels, with Black (42%) and Asian (43%) children and young people, and those from the least affluent families (45%), still less likely to play sport or be physically active than the average across all ethnicities and affluence groups. Girls (45%) are also less likely to be active than boys (51%). Read the full report for more info 👇 Active Partnerships

The Active Lives Children & Young People Survey results are out – covering the 2023-24 academic year. The post below has all the details, but I always like to offer some slightly more personal reflections here as to what it all means. A few headlines: 💼 The results are crucial to inform policy decisions, especially important while the government is still relatively new and developing its approach in areas like the curriculum review or the NHS ten year plan, or local systems continue to grapple with more to do and less to do it with. Lots of the debates and discussion in policy making are subjective views, these results give us the cold hard facts about what’s really happening for children and young people. 😷 This is the first set of results that have definitively shown the existence of a ‘Covid Cohort’ – a six year band of children currently spanning Year 3 to Year 8 that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. This group has lower levels of competence, confidence and understanding, three key attitudes that help children feel able to be active. They are also less happy, less confident and less resilient, all things that being active can help with. 🏓 The results point to some things we can do to help improve things though – competence, confidence and understanding really matter, but above all if kids aren’t enjoying sport, they won’t keep doing it. That means listening more to what young people want as competition for their time continues to grow. 🏟️ Making sure people have access to the places and spaces to get active is vital too, building them where they are needed the most and making them feel welcoming where they exist already, doing away with the impression that they “aren’t for me”. 🧑🤝🧑 Finally, we can’t do any of this alone – there is no silver bullet, no one thing we could fund or do that will boost these numbers overnight. What is needed is an even stronger commitment to collective action, especially in the face of significant headwinds. There is a reason our strategy is called Uniting the Movement. A big system, united behind a small number of high impact things might just move the dial. Please do spend time reading and digesting the results, and discussing what it means for you, your team, your work or your organisation - and think about how it can inform all of us as we continue to build our movement for sport and physical activity. #activelives #PE #schoolsport #sport #physicalactivity #unitingthemovement

We must do more for our children and young people! Activity levels have stabilised, but we know that they will be more active if they enjoy sport and physical activity. There are millions of amazing coaches supporting children and young people, making sure their voices are heard and they have autonomy over their journey in sport and physical activity. However, significant demographic disparities still impact children's experiences of sport. Reaching more communities across the country with rights-respecting coaching that meets the needs and wants of children must continue to be a priority. Child-first coaches have an immeasurable impact on children and young people's experiences in sport and physical activity. The more children report positive attitudes, the more they will develop a lifelong love for being active. #childfirstcoaching #playtheirway #enjoyment #SportEngland #activelives www.playtheirway.org

Plus ça change... 🤷♂️ The latest Active Lives Children and Young People Survey is a disappointing read. Children's activity levels have barely changed in the last 5 years. Are we as a sector fighting hard against a tide pushing more children into inactivity or just not doing the right and different things well enough? Covid was more than 3 years ago now and activity levels bounced back almost straight away so whilst there will be lingering effects this is not the cause. Schools are under-resourced and battling multiple, and for them more pressing, priorities. Inequalities remain because more affluent families and communities have accessible opportunities for their children. What is the vision and solutions to create more opportunities for the most disadvantaged and least active in our society? #MeetMovePlay anyone?

The latest Sport England "Active Lives Children and Young People Survey" results are out. What do we see - "There are clear inequalities in sport and physical activity engagement. Children and young people with 2+ characteristics of inequality are the least active, least likely to volunteer and have the lowest levels of positive attitudes and wider outcomes." How much longer are we prepared to accept these clear inequalities for our children and young people? Change the system not the young people.. if you would like to explore how we could support you to achieve this shared ambition please reach out. #InclusiveSport Inclusive Employers https://lnkd.in/eg2FZ4YG

Worryingly, under half of children take part in an average of 60 mins or more of sport/physical activity every day, according to new research from Sport England. And significant inequalities remain in activity levels among different demographic groups. The findings follow the publication of our report 'Raising the healthiest generation in history' earlier this week, written by the TCPA in collaboration with Playing Out , Fields in Trust, childhood expert Tim Gill and architect Dinah Bornat (ZCD ARCHITECTS LTD). The report builds on the insights from over 130 individuals and organisations who submitted evidence as part of the2023 Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee inquiry into children, young people and the built environment. It reveals the consistent failure to prioritise children’s needs and voices in relation to the built environment. But it also sets out how to do thing differently, to ensure we are creating spaces and places that give children and young people the best start in life. View the full report: https://lnkd.in/e-xgEhSn

It makes me very sad to see that so many children (more than 50 %) aren't getting the recommended levels of physical activity for happy, healthy lives. Why do we spend so little time moving our bodies during the school day? Fewer and fewer people have the education and knowledge to even know how to move. We have more and more endemic obesity and activity-related health problems in society.... The solution is glaringly simple. And yet, clearly, not something that is sufficiently attractive to policy makers and the Department of Education. Sigh. While we cannot change the world, we can change our own habits. Please make sure to get your recommended level of daily activity today and encourage your peers and children to do the same; I guarantee that you will feel better for it :)

The latest Active Lives Children and Young People Survey from Sport England is a powerful reminder of the inequalities that continue to shape access to sport and physical activity. While it’s encouraging to see overall activity levels remain stable post-Covid, the report highlights the urgent need for targeted action to address the deep disparities affecting young people from Black and Asian communities, girls, and children from less affluent backgrounds. At TAWS, we understand that systemic inequalities profoundly impact the ability of young people to lead active, healthy lives. That’s why we’re committed to tackling these barriers—creating inclusive spaces and opportunities that enable every child, regardless of their background, to thrive through sport and physical activity. We work nationally with communities and partners using a whole-systems approach to address the root causes of inequality. By co-creating initiatives and embedding social connection and resilience into everything we do, we aim to make activity accessible and sustainable for everyone. This report is a call to action for all of us.

Survey shows Covid pandemic hits children’s physical activity levels and attitudes The latest Active Lives Children and Young People Survey results, released by Sport England today, reveal that in the last academic year 47.8% of all children in the country achieved the Chief Medical Officers (CMO) guidelines of taking part in an average of 60 minutes or more of sport and physical activity every day.  Covering the 2023-24 academic year, results reveal that overall activity levels were maintained from the previous year but with less than half of all children achieving the guidelines more action is needed to provide all children with the best start in life. Concerningly the report highlights that: > Girls are less likely to be active than boys > Children from more affluent families are more likely to be physically active. > Children and young people from a White or Mixed background are more likely to be active than Black or Asian children. > Those with two or more characteristics of inequality – for example, Asian girls, or someone less affluent from a Black background – are significantly less likely to be active. They are also less likely to volunteer, and have the lowest levels of positive attitudes and wider outcomes compared to their peers with no characteristics of inequality at all > The report offers vital insights into how children and young people feel, with happiness, resilience and trust scores all lower than when the survey began in the academic year 2017/2018.   These national trends give us an indication of the issues facing children and young people in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. They also confirm why, as a system partner in Uniting the Movement, we remain committed to tackling inequalities and giving every young person a positive experience of physical activity. For more information on our work for children and young people, including youth voice, opening school facilities and school games, visit our website

Next Thursday we’re releasing the latest Active Lives Children and Young People Survey results. The last set of data highlighted some key trends. Nearly half of children (47%) are meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines for activity, but we’re still seeing persistent inequalities. For example, children from less affluent families are less likely to be active, and while boys remain more active than girls overall, teenage girls are showing promising long-term growth in activity levels. Why does this matter? Because the benefits of physical activity go far beyond fitness. Active children are happier, more resilient, and better equipped to thrive in all areas of life. These insights drive everything we do at Sport England, helping us shape initiatives like Play Their Way — giving children the freedom to enjoy sport in ways that work for them — and support schools through resources like Studio You. This work also connects to the bigger picture. Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy aligns with the government’s ambitions and its five key missions. Schools are key partners in this, but so are families, local communities, and sport providers. It’s about creating a movement where every child has the opportunity to get active and feel the benefits. Next week’s results will sharpen our focus and highlight where we need to go next. The challenge is significant, but so is the opportunity to make a lasting impact on young lives. Stay tuned — and let’s keep working together to create environments where every child can move, play, and flourish. #ActiveLives #SportForAll #UnitingTheMovement