NEW ZEALAND’S ALL BLACKS DO THE DAILY MILE WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN IN LYON

Today, the All Blacks took time out of training to visit school children in Lyon to help inspire more children across France to get active through The Daily Mile.

61 local school children from école élémentaire Saint-Trivier-de-Courtes and école primaire de Jayat had the opportunity to take part in a very special Daily Mile with their guests from New Zealand and receive rugby skills coaching from All Blacks players at an event day hosted at Stade de Gerland. The one of a kind event also featured a live Q&A session, as well as a jersey signing opportunity for the children.

All Blacks player Aaron Smith said: “It’s fantastic to be in Lyon and to be here supporting The Daily Mile. We’ve been so impressed by the work they are doing to get kids more active around the world and bring communities together through daily exercise – it’s something so simple but effective that everyone can benefit from. Myself and the team have enjoyed running alongside the kids and teaching them some of our favourite rugby skills!”

The Daily Mile initiative was started by former Head Teacher Elaine Wyllie MBE of St Ninian’s Primary in Stirling, Scotland in 2012 and has grown every year, with the support of INEOS. In France, there are over 80,000 children taking part in The Daily Mile each day, from across 628 schools. Globally, there are now more than 4.5 million children taking part in 18,500+ schools in 95 countries around the world. It is endorsed by some of the most successful athletes including marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, the most successful Olympic sailor of all time Sir Ben Ainslie and the All Blacks.

Founder of The Daily Mile Elaine Wyllie MBE, said: “We are forever grateful for the incredible support we receive from athletes around the world and we can’t thank the All Blacks enough for taking time out of their busy schedules to come down and share their passion for daily exercise with the local schoolchildren. Their influence really does go a long way to inspire children to get active outdoors and join in with their schoolmates. Just 15 minutes of daily physical activity improves a child’s mood, concentration and memory – enhancing their ability to learn.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS and supporter of The Daily Mile said: “We know that the positive experiences we have at a young age shape habits for life – which is why it’s so key to help young children enjoy getting active daily. Running is the simplest, most natural exercise you can do, it’s fun and social, and it helps to teach the basics of a healthy lifestyle. As childhoods become more sedentary than ever, we’re proud that The Daily Mile initiatives have helped over 4 million children get up and running since 2012 – and are inspiring their families, too.”

This event has also marked the launch of an exciting partnership between The Daily Mile and the National Observatory on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour (ONAPS). As part of the partnership, ONAPS will support the continued adoption of The Daily Mile initiative by schools across France as an effective method of increasing physical activity in children. Through this partnership, ONAPS will also undertake research into the impact that taking part in the Daily Mile has on the physical, social and mental health of children in France.

Lucile Bruchet, Operational Director at ONAPS has said: “It is a genuine privilege to be part of a fulfilling long-term partnership with The Daily Mile – a legacy that we aim to amplify on a national scale, enriching not only our educational system but also influencing government policies.”

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Media Contacts

Andrew McLachlan         andrew@mediazoo.tv                               +447931377162

Dave Clark                        dave.clark@mediazoo.tv                          +44(0)7545330740

The Daily Mile contacts

Thomas Manfredini        thomas.manfredini@ineos.com

Hannah Oakes                 Hannah@thedailymile.co.uk

Tilly McAuliffe                 Tilly@thedailymile.co.uk

 ITV, STV, SKY AND INEOS COME TOGETHER TO TACKLE LOW LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN CHILDREN THROUGH NATIONAL CAMPAIGN

ITV, STV, Sky and INEOS have joined forces to tackle low levels of physical activity in children across  the UK. Backing a national TV campaign they are encouraging schools to sign up to The Daily Mile, to give more children a healthy start in life and support improved attainment in class.

The advertising campaign titled “Thrive” will launch today. It highlights the positive impact that The Daily Mile is having on children’s physical and mental wellbeing, helping them to thrive in school.

According to the Youth Sport Trust (YST), there is a growing concern over physical inactivity in children across the UK. This concern is reflected by 77% of parents who claim their children are not getting enough physical activity – yet under half of those parents (43%) are aware that children need at least 60-minutes of physical activity every day.

The UK government recently launched ‘Get Active: A Strategy for the Future of Sport and Physical Activity’, highlighting that more than 50% of children fail to do an average of 60-minutes of physical activity a day. The strategy promoted the Daily Mile as an example of a great initiative for schools and trusts to help their pupils meet the 60-minute recommendation.

The “Thrive” advert is supported  by research from the Universities of Stirling, Edinburgh and Highlands & Islands which found that The Daily Mile significantly improves a child’s mood, concentration and memory – enhancing their ability to learn.

Founder of The Daily Mile, Elaine Wyllie MBE, said: “There is now more awareness than ever of the lack of children’s physical activity: kids simply aren’t doing enough exercise. So, we as a country need to act, and fast. Thank you to ITV, STV, Sky and INEOS for creating this campaign which I hope will raise awareness of The Daily Mile.”

ITV’s Director of Social Purpose, Susie Braun, said: “At ITV we’re delighted to continue our fantastic partnership with The Daily Mile into its sixth year. 15 minutes of daily exercise has been proven to help children’s physical wellbeing but also their mental wellbeing. Well done to all the teachers and children doing the Daily Mile and we hope this campaign inspires many more to do so.”

Group Director of Bigger Picture, Sky, Fiona Ball, said: “The Daily Mile is an important campaign in helping to improve children’s physical and mental health across the UK. At Sky, we want to inspire more children to participate in sport and we’re dedicated to making sport more inclusive and diverse.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS and supporter of The Daily Mile said“We know that the positive experiences we have at a young age shape habits for life – which is why it’s so key to help young children enjoy getting active daily. Running is the simplest, most natural exercise you can do, it’s fun and social, and it helps to teach the basics of a healthy lifestyle. As childhoods become more sedentary than ever, we’re proud that The Daily Mile initiatives have helped over 4 million children get up and running since 2012 – and are inspiring their families, too.”

<ENDS>

Media Contacts

Andrew McLachlan         andrew@mediazoo.tv                               +447931377162

Dave Clark                        dave.clark@mediazoo.tv                          +44(0)7545330740

The Daily Mile contacts

Hannah Oakes                 Hannah@thedailymile.co.uk

Tilly McAuliffe                 Tilly@thedailymile.co.uk

Source: The Hull Story

Date: 7th September 2023

Health and wellbeing initiative The Daily Mile, supported by INEOS, is having a profound impact on children across the globe – and most recently, in schools based in Hull and East Yorkshire.

Additional support from partners INEOS Acetyls has resulted in increased buy-in from schools with over 21,000 children across 60 schools from the Hull and East Riding area taking part in The Daily Mile each day.

Considered the third most deprived local authority [out of 326] in England alone, there has been a huge drive from local governing bodies to ‘Get Hull Active’.

Physical Health England estimates the total cost of physical inactivity has cost Hull approximately £35m a year, with 38 per cent of Hull’s children leaving primary school overweight or obese.

At its core, The Daily Mile is a social physical activity, where children run, jog, wheel, or walk for 15 minutes at their own pace, in the fresh air with their teachers and classmates. The initiative improves the physical, social, emotional and mental health and wellbeing of children – regardless of age, ability, or personal circumstances. It does not require special equipment or kit, and it is free.

From its humble beginning in 2012, when founder Elaine Wyllie was headteacher at St Ninians Primary School in Stirling, Scotland, the health and wellbeing initiative has grown, with the backing and support from INEOS, with an uptake of four million children worldwide across 18,600 schools and early years settings in over 90 countries.

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