The need for a shift to a preventative health strategy

The need for a shift to a preventative health strategy

Whilst we wait with anticipation for today’s Budget statement in the UK, my focus lies slightly further ahead to the opportunity we have at The Daily Mile Foundation to play a part in a transition to a more preventative health strategy. The new Labour Government have made it clear they think the NHS is broken, and we believe a big part of the answer to fixing it is an investment in the health and well-being of our children today, so that we can help reduce the burden on our health services in the future.

The recent publication of Sport England’s report, ‘The social value of sport and physical activity in England’, provided a timely reminder to us all of the life-enhancing benefits of sport and physical activity and the unique role it plays in bringing communities together. The report presents the social value generated by sport and physical activity in 2022/23 (year one of a three-year study), but it also helps us look forward to the social value that could be generated if we can further increase participation across the population, particularly inactive to active.

The report estimates that the total social value generated by sport and physical activity in England was £107.2 billion, with £96.7 billion coming from the improved wellbeing created for individuals through participation and volunteering. Importantly for our work at The Daily Mile Foundation, the report estimates that £8.6 billion of this social value is generated through the participation of children and young people aged 11-16 years. Although the Daily Mile engages younger children within primary schools, the report clearly reinforces the importance and value of establishing healthy habits around physical activity from an early age.

Opportunities for sport and physical activity are unevenly distributed, with the report highlighting that these inequalities lead to a greater social value for activities involving groups facing one or more forms of disadvantage. For some children, especially those in underserved communities, the school environment may be their only access to physical activity. Previous research shows that The Daily Mile has been especially effective in reaching disadvantaged school populations in urban areas with significant health inequalities. This uniquely positions The Daily Mile to address the challenge of transforming inactive children into active participants.

Many of the issues that the UK Government will be aiming to tackle through todays Budget statement are not specific to the UK, particularly those related to population health. We are seeing increasing levels of inactivity and rising obesity amongst children across the world. Our mission at The Daily Mile Foundation is to embed regular physical activity into the culture of school and nursery life, helping to create learning environments where children can thrive. The rationale for investment to increase levels of physical activity amongst children is clear, and Sport England’s report provides further evidence of the enormous social and economic value that could be generated by doing so as part of a more preventative approach to health.

Gordon Banks

Global Director, The Daily Mile Foundation