Olympic legend Sir Mo Farah CBE has joined Coalition partner Youth Sport Trust as its new National School Sport Champion.
Mo’s decision to take on the role follows his retirement from competitive running in 2023 and is driven by his own experience of the role sport can play in supporting young people’s personal development and helping them find a sense of self and belonging within school. As captured in the BBC documentary ‘The Real Mo Farah’, the former World champion credits school sport, and his PE teacher Alan Watkinson in particular, with saving him after he was trafficked into Britain as a child.
Sir Mo Farah said: “Every young person should grow up happy, healthy and with the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Ensuring they are physically active for 60 minutes a day is an important part of making this happen.
“Too few children in the UK are exercising regularly and it’s having a detrimental impact on their health and wellbeing. In my new role as National School Sport Champion, it is my mission to get as many young people moving on a daily basis as possible. The power of sport helped me find my passion as a young person, so I’m firmly encouraging kids across the UK to get involved in ‘60 minutes a day - of PE, sport and play.’”
Ali Oliver, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust and Coalition Board member (pictured above), said: “The UK’s Chief Medical Officers’ recommend that children are vigorously active for at least 60 minutes a day. In children and young people, regular physical activity is associated with better physiological, psychological and psychosocial health, resulting in happier, healthier, more resilient young people.
“Unfortunately, the most recent data from Sport England shows that fewer than half (47%) of children in England are active for this amount of time, and one in three (30%) are active for less than 30 minutes per day. This might not be surprising when you consider the fact that our research shows only 43% of parents are aware how active their children should be.
“That is why we have teamed up with Sir Mo to launch Mo’s Mission, and why we are launching our new manifesto today with ideas for change needed to make Mo’s Mission a reality.
“This manifesto for action – developed in partnership with representative and leading voices in health and wellbeing, education, physical activity and sport – sets out how to build a system which drives the transformational change needed to give every child an active start in life. We are calling on this and future governments to prioritise physical activity to improve children’s health and wellbeing; improving their educational attainment and ultimately increasing their happiness. Happy, healthy children grow up to be more productive adult citizens, alongside reducing the strain on the NHS.
“Our manifesto makes five key recommendations to create a nation of active and well schools, and give every child a chance to be active for at least 60 minutes a day.”
About the manifesto
The Youth Sport Trust passionately believes improving children and young people’s wellbeing is a national priority.
Key to this is putting the child at the centre of our thinking and unlocking the potential of physical activity including PE, sport and play to develop happier, healthier and more successful children.
What we’re doing currently is not working – too many children are inactive, and are unhappier, unhealthier and more distracted as a result.
This manifesto for action – developed in partnership with representative and leading voices in health and wellbeing, education, physical activity and sport – sets out how to build a system which drives the transformational change needed to give every child an active start in life.
To deliver for children and young people, we are calling for a new, long-term joined-up national plan guaranteeing every child access to the UK’s Chief Medical Officers’ guidance of 60 active minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity by creating a nation of active and well schools.
This plan should:
- resource a dedicated coordination and delivery team working across a family of schools in every community
- introduce a new national wellbeing measurement for children, to track progress and target interventions
- protect and increase spaces for play and physical activity in every locality, and provide co-curricular sport for all children
- reimagine Physical Education, making it a core subject developing physically literate children, healthy learners and active citizens
- formalise existing youth sport leadership opportunities into a national young sport volunteers programme delivering year-round social action
We are calling on the next Government to prioritise the transition to this model by starting in the most disadvantaged areas first, demonstrating the impact and generating learning to inform national implementation.
Find out more about Youth Sport Trust's new manifesto to improve children and young people’s wellbeing and achievement.
