The Bugs Group’s Active Schools Initiative is coming to schools across Birmingham this Summer!
Recent figures from the Youth Sport Trust revealed that one in three children leaving primary school are obese and that one in ten children per classroom will experience a mental health issue throughout primary school. These shocking stats have helped us to create our Active Schools Initiative – aiming to help get schoolchildren in Birmingham more physically active to help improve their physical and mental wellbeing!
There is a need for change specifically in the Birmingham area, as 6% of children can be classed as ‘severely obese’. This figure is also nearly 2% more than the national average – which is why Birmingham schools will be offered a free 30 minute sports session!
A survey from Public Health England looking at the effects of physical activity on children’s emotional wellbeing found that being active made children between the ages of 5 and 11 feel:
-
happier (79%)
-
more sociable (74%)
-
more confident (72%)
On top of this, 93% of children said that they enjoyed being active!
While the physical benefits of sport and exercise are well known (reduces risk of obesity and other health issues), exercise also has a number of benefits on mental health. Exercise can improve children’s wellbeing, as they increase their self-esteem and confidence levels, whilst also reducing their stress levels through the release of endorphins.
The Bugs Group are already working with lots of schools within Birmingham, Solihull and other surrounding areas, running Sport Development Programmes as part of both school curriculum and extra-curricular time. Our unique sessions combine sport with children’s imagination around stories or different themes to actively engage all children in physical activity.
The Active Schools Initiative was designed to help reach more schoolchildren and provide them with an extra sports session to give them a positive and enjoyable experience of sport. By having a positive experience of sport at a young age, children are more likely to stay active and healthy – increasingly important given that the number of children achieving the government recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day drops by 40% as they progress through primary school.
If you would like to find out more about The Bugs Group’s Active Schools Initiative, or any of our programmes/classes, please visit our website below.
