Charity calls on government to invest in PE to tackle mental health

Commenting on the Education Committee's reponse to the government's Green Paper on children's mental health, the Youth Sports Trust has said it is disappointing to see little reference to the link between physical activity, play and sport on mental health

The government's proposed Green Paper on Transforming Children and Young People's Mental Health has been criticised by the Education and Health and Social Care Committees, who say it lacks ambition and will provide no help to the majority of those children who desperately need it.

The Youth Sport Trust has said that they agree with the Committees response, but would also like to see the link between sport and better mental health included.

As such, the charity has urged the government to invest in PE and sport as a way of boosting children and young people’s mental health.

Ali Oliver, chief executive officer at Youth Sport Trust, said: “As a children’s charity, we have long been championing the vital role that a refocussed physical education curriculum has in giving young people the skills they need not only for work, but for life.

“We understand the drivers of declining mental health and the pressures young people currently face, and now we need further action. We need to prevent mental health issues from ever arising rather than simply intervening when the damage has been done. The transformative impact of being active and playing sport must be taken seriously to do this.

“Physical Education holds so many of the answers to a healthier, happier generation - belonging, resilience, self-esteem as well as the positive impact physical activity can have on mood. We are piloting a number of partnership programmes across the country where a new physical education offer, alongside a whole school approach to wellbeing is generating promising evidence of impact. We call on the government to build on their investment into the Primary PE and Sport Premium and harness the contribution Physical Education, daily physical activity and sport can make in secondary schools too, if it is explicitly focussed on young people’s wellbeing.”

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