Calling all political parties to commit to improving the health and wellbeing of our children

With parliament dissolved today ahead of the general election on 4^th July, we enter a period when all political parties will be making manifesto commitments for the future. Quite rightly many of these commitments will focus on the big issues, including education, the NHS, and tackling inequalities. The Daily Mile Foundation agrees that these are some of our nation’s most important priorities, which is why we are asking all political parties to commit to improving the health and wellbeing of children by increasing opportunities for daily physical activity within our schools. Physical activity has the power to transform lives, to improve physical health, to improve children’s emotional and mental wellbeing, and to support academic attainment, and we witness this directly with children that enjoy their Daily Mile at school.

As humans we have evolved to need physical activity to maintain good health. When we stop moving regularly, as many of our children have, we suffer poor physical and mental health and build issues that can lead to life limiting health problems in the future, putting added pressure on our health services. By incorporating regular physical activity into our lives, as we do through The Daily Mile, we not only improve physical, mental, emotional, and social health in the short term, we also help increase children’s understanding of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and help develop positive habits for a lifetime.

We know that children are healthier and happier when they are active, and we know that healthy and happy children learn better and achieve more. Our mission is to help schools create environments where regular physical activity becomes part of school life.

All children, irrespective of age, ability or personal circumstances, should have access to daily physical activity. Our research shows that The Daily Mile is a wide-reaching intervention, that engages disadvantaged primary school populations, where physical activity levels are lowest, and obesity prevalence is highest. We know that more than half of children in England are not meeting the Chief Medical Officers guidelines of 60 minutes of physical activity each day, and this is exacerbated further in relation to health inequalities.

We are asking all political parties to confront the public health challenge of rising inactivity levels by ensuring our schools are environments of daily movement where children are provided with positive experiences of physical activity that can help them become happy and healthy learners.

Gordon Banks

Global Director, The Daily Mile Foundation

• Founder of The Daily Mile Foundation, supported by INEOS, Elaine Wyllie MBE, has won the Lifetime Achievement Award at The Daily Record Pride of Scotland Awards 2024 for transforming millions of lives all over the world.
• The award recognises Elaine’s contributions to the health and wellbeing of children in the UK as part of The Daily Mile Foundation.
• Scientific research has confirmed The Daily Mile can significantly enhance children’s fitness, heighten their alertness, and boost concentration levels in class, supporting improved learning outcomes and helping children feel happier.

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On Monday 20 May, Elaine Wyllie MBE, the founder of The Daily Mile, supported by INEOS, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daily Record Pride of Scotland Awards in Glasgow for transforming millions of lives all over the world.

The award recognises Elaine’s outstanding contributions to the health and wellbeing of children in the UK as part of The Daily Mile Foundation. Now a global fitness revolution – as crowned by The Daily Record Pride of Scotland Awards – The Daily Mile has grown into a global phenomenon, engaging over five million children in over 20,000 schools in 96 countries.

Previously recognized with an MBE for her services to the fitness of children in 2019, Elaine’s commitment to empowering children through physical activity has garnered widespread acclaim.

Elaine Wyllie MBE said: “I am hugely honoured to receive this prestigious award in my home country of Scotland where The Daily Mile started, and I am humbled to be in the company of other award winners who have shown such determination and courage. I am grateful to the children, parents and staff of St Ninians Primary School in Stirling and to INEOS without whom The Daily Mile would never have been created and reached five million children across the world.”

The Daily Mile was founded by Elaine in 2012 out of concern for the physical fitness of her pupils at St Ninian’s Primary School in Stirling. Elaine came up with the idea to get her pupils to run, wheel, or walk for a mile around the school field every day. Within four weeks, fitness levels increased, attention and behaviour in class improved and parents were commenting on their children being more active and alert.

Since 2016, The Daily Mile has been supported by INEOS, to grow the initiative on an international scale.

Notable figures who have attended the awards in the past to celebrate Scotland’s unsung heroes include Her Majesty Queen Camilla, Brian Cox, Sir Trevor McDonald, Lorraine Kelly, and Rod Stewart.

The Daily Mile Foundation and Place2Be join forces to champion better mental health for children.

• The Daily Mile and Place2Be, together aim to make an impact, championing the crucial role that regular physical activity plays in supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing.
• This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme, ‘Moving more for our mental health,’ highlights the fundamental connection between physical activity and mental wellbeing.
• Place2Be and The Daily Mile are today launching a new resource which provides practical guidance for parents, caregivers, and teachers to promote children and young people’s mental wellbeing through physical activity.

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Today, as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, The Daily Mile Foundation a charity supported by INEOS, and Place2Be announce their commitment to supporting better mental health and wellbeing for children and young people.

The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, ‘Moving more for our mental health,’ highlights the crucial role of physical activity in supporting improved mental wellbeing. Children’s mental health charity Place2Be highlight that regular movement can boost self-esteem, improve sleep quality, and reduce feelings of anxiety. Even brief periods of activity can lead to increased mental alertness, heightened energy levels, and a more positive mood.

The partnership aims to raise awareness of the vital link between regular physical activity and positive mental health outcomes for children and young people. As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, Place2Be and The Daily Mile Foundation have teamed up to launch a new resource which provides practical guidance for parents, caregivers, and teachers to encourage and promote children and young people’s mental wellbeing through physical activity.

Gordon Banks, Global Director of The Daily Mile Foundation, INEOS, said “Place2Be are leaders in the field of children’s mental health, so we are delighted to be working with them to highlight the importance of regular physical activity for children’s health and wellbeing. We know that children are healthier and happier when they are active, and we know that happy and healthy children learn better and achieve more. Our mission is to help schools create environments where regular physical activity becomes part of school life, and we will do that more successfully by working in partnership with great organisations like Place2Be.”

Catherine Roche, Chief Executive of Place2Be, said: “At a time when building resilience is so important, we know from research and our own experience that movement helps with building positive wellbeing. In our schools, we see the value that daily activity has and how it contributes to creating school environments where children flourish and thrive. This Mental Health Awareness Week, Place2Be is delighted to work with The Daily Mile Foundation, to launch our practical resource for children, young people, families, and schools. Together, we’re encouraging schools and families to get on the move to better support children and young people’s mental health.”

Media Contacts

Hannah Oakes                  hannah@thedailymile.co.uk
Abi Aldridge                      Abi.Aldridge@place2be.org.uk

We are a Kindergarten in Lithuania and have 150 children that do The Daily Mile every day in our local park! We haven’t experienced any obstacles since implementing The Daily Mile in our setting.

As we have the status of an “Active school”, it is an added benefit for us to participate in The Daily Mile where we can provide children with the joy of movement, physical activity, and naturally this has had only a positive impact on our environment: happy children who have access to daily activity.

We want to share a story about child who is visually impaired, he shared his excitement that he was able to participate alongside his classmates! We have noticed that he is so happy and full of laughter when he takes part. Also, children on the autism spectrum fit into The Daily Mile with ease which is very important to us.

We are so glad to have had the chance to introduce The Daily Mile in our Kindergarten, and parents have also always supported the participation. When doing The Daily Mile, our children always shout “We run for fun” and “We are as fast as birds”!