Sport for all
Published
New research suggests that Covid-19 continues to cast a long shadow on the activity levels and habits of the pandemic generation, with children who were between nursery and Year 4 when the pandemic struck in 2020 still at a particular disadvantage.
The report, from Sports England, highlights that this generation of children remain less likely to have positive attitudes towards activity and have a lower sense of opportunity – and they aren’t catching up. It also pinpoints significant inequalities, with black and Asian children, girls and the least affluent children less likely to be active.
Good news that emerges from the report is that activity levels are stable, and nearly 1 in 2 of children are meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines of an average of 60 minutes of activity a day. No less than 83 per cent of 5-7 year olds are taking place in active play and informal activity at least once a week.
Chief Executive of Sport England Tim Hollingsworth says the report reveals the ‘absolute need’ to address these problems head on due to the fundamental impact that Covid-19 has had on children: ‘The first lockdown feels distant, but for children whose impressionable early years were defined by lockdowns, attitudes towards sport and physical activity are distinctly negative,’ he says.
Sport England is calling on everyone who has a role to play in supporting the health and wellbeing of children to work together to drive the changes needed– because active, healthy children are critical to the long-term delivery of the Government’s missions.
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