New Government has fantastic opportunity to create healthiest and happiest generation of children ever in Britain

New Government has fantastic opportunity to create healthiest and happiest generation of children ever in Britain

Earlier this year Keir Starmer launched the Labour Party’s ‘Child Health Action Plan’ pledging to ‘create the healthiest and happiest generation of children ever in Britain’ with a ‘preventative-first approach’ to this challenge’. Last week’s election victory for the Labour Party presents a fantastic opportunity for the new Prime Minister and his Government to deliver on that pledge.

The evidence around the holistic health benefits of regular physical activity for children are undisputable. Active children are healthier and happier, and we know that healthy and happy children become better learners. At The Daily Mile Foundation, we have demonstrated that providing children with the opportunity to be physically active for 15 minutes outside with their friends during the school day can significantly improve their physical and mental health.

With limited funds to tackle the current health crisis and widening inequalities, it is crucial for the new Government to utilise models such as The Daily Mile, which are free, simple to implement, scalable and fully inclusive. By prioritising and investing in our children’s health today, taking a long-term and preventative approach, we can reduce the burden on NHS for future generations.

Our mission is to help schools create environments where regular physical activity becomes part of school life, and we look forward to working with the new Government and our sectors partners to achieve this.

Gordon Banks

Global Director, The Daily Mile Foundation