National Context

In developing this strategy, we acknowledge that it requires joint commitment to ensure that all young people have the opportunity to live healthy and active lives.

The health and wellbeing of every child continues to be a priority. Sadly, all too often the people with most to gain from being active are the least inclined or hardest to reach, with alarming trends as a result, for example:

-10% of 11-16 years olds have a diagnosable mental health issue. -33% of 11-16-year olds have poor body confdence. -13% of 11-16 years old are not in education, employment or training.

Source: Youth Sport Trust – Active Healthy Minds (2018) Sport England have released data from their Active Lives Survey (2021) indicating that only 44.9% of young people are meeting the Chief Medical Offcer’s guidelines of 60 minutes a day of physical activity and sport. More worryingly, 31.3% do less than an average of 30 minutes a day.

The impact of coronavirus needs to be acknowledged; in the last year, young people have experienced extensive periods away from a school setting, recreational activity with peers, and structured competition or training. Policy makers have a duty to set interventions to address:

-Only 19% of young people strongly agreed to the statement of “being competent in sport.” -Only 49% of young people strongly agreed to the statement of “being confdent in sport.”

Source: Sport England Coronavirus report (2021)