Job search
Job Search
Latest news
More news: (showing 1 - 20 of 13726)           
UK only International

£346m childcare cash surplus 'should be used to get kids active'

By Tom Walker    19 Sep 2018
The report calls for funding to help support parents keep children physically active outside of school hours

More than £346m in "wasted" childcare funding should be used to get children more active and fight the growing epidemic of health issues among the young.

That's the message from ukactive, which has called on the government to redirect the Treasury underspend – allocated to tax-free childcare – to physical activity programmes.

In a report, called Generation Inactive 2 - Nothing About Us, Without Us, ukactive says the funding would help support parents to keep children physically active outside of school hours, with figures showing that over the summer holidays children lose up to 80 per cent of the fitness gained during term time.

The report also lays out a blueprint to tackle the barriers to physical activity for children and young people, mapping out the changes needed at every level in order to take a "more holistic approach to health, happiness and wellbeing" by focusing on active play and fun.

Generation Inactive 2 - Nothing About Us, Without Us is based on findings from what ukactive describes as the "largest consultation on children’s physical activity in recent times".

Other recommendations made in the report include developing schools into community hubs – integrating health, education and social care provision within schools – and for Ofsted to create an Inspection Framework that places pupil’s physical health and development at the heart of its evaluation schedule.

It also calls for all major political parties UK-wide committing to a 20-year public health campaign turn "generation inactive to generation active" by 2038 and for government to hold departments accountable for actively involving the views of children and young people in strategic health decision and policy-making.

“This is the least active generation ever, with evidence showing that inactive children become inactive adults at risk of a host of preventable diseases," said chair of ukactive Tanni Grey-Thompson.

“Unspent childcare funds from the Treasury can be put to better use and actually help parents where they need it most by providing fun and social physical activity programmes for children.

“There is no silver bullet so this report calls for a collective effort across government and every part of society to turn Generation Inactive into Generation Active.”

Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield added: “We must make physical activity and play a public health priority for all children and young people, with practical solutions to make activities more accessible and appealing.

“Only by working together will we deliver the changes necessary to protect the health of future generations.”

ukactive  Generation Inactive  Tanni Grey-Thompson  physical activity 
Sign up for FREE ezines
Related news
Related features

Company profile

Company profile: Everyone Active
Everyone Active's aim is to get communities active, engaged and entertained through our wide-ranging activities and services that include, sports, coaching, culture, events, health and happiness. We manage a vast range of indoor and outdoor facilities including swimming pools, spas, sports halls, squash courts, studios, fitness suites, climbing walls, cafes, golf courses, athletics stadia and sports pitches.
View full profile >
More company profiles

Featured Supplier

Panatta to showcase innovation at major fitness and bodybuilding events in 2024
Panatta will consolidate its global presence throughout 2024 by attending a host of major industry events around the globe.
View full details >
More featured suppliers

Property & Tenders

Location: Loughton, IG10
Company: Knight Frank
Location: Grantham, Leicestershire
Company: Belvoir Castle
Location: Verwood, Dorset
Company: AVISON YOUNG
Location: Hall Place House, Bexley, DA5 1PQ
Company: London Borough of Bexley
Location: 15 Concessions across the nation's forests
Company: Forestry England
More properties & tenders

Diary dates

11-14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Centre , Cologne, Germany
22-24 Apr 2024
Galgorm Resort, York
10-12 May 2024
China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China
23-24 May 2024
Large Hall of the Chamber of Commerce (Erbprinzenpalais), Wiesbaden, Germany
More diary dates