This week I was delighted to table a debate in Parliament, which received cross-party support and extensive media coverage, on the allocation of funding from the soft drinks industry levy for sport in schools.
We face an obesity crises in this country with the UK having one of the highest overall obesity rates amongst developed countries. Nearly a third of children leaving Primary School are overweight or obese. In my eyes this is a devastating situation. One that we need to tackle urgently, otherwise we do a huge disservice to our young people who will be faced with serious health problems and potentially shorter life spans. It sounds dramatic but you only have to look at research from organisations including Cancer Research UK, Diabetes UK and the Royal College of Surgeons to understand that this a serious health crises.
This is why I was pleased to hear that the money raised through the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (aka the Sugar Tax) would mean investing millions of pounds into school sport. To be precise, it is expected to deliver £520m in 2018-19. So far the Government has earmarked £285 million a year to give 25% of secondary schools increased opportunity to extend their school day; £10 million funding a year to expand breakfast clubs in up to 1,600 schools and £160 million per year to double the primary school PE and sport premium.
I want to make sure that the money raised provides the one off cash injection needed to kick-start more regular and sustainable sport for pupils in both primary and secondary schools. For an inspiring idea I didn’t have to look beyond North Swindon where there is one particular PE teacher in one of our local schools who is getting more kids playing sport and getting active. Mark Draycott is a former semi-pro footballer who now works at Oakhurst Primary School and runs Draycott Sports Camp which oversees an after-school club, a Saturday morning club and sporting camps throughout the holidays. It is also a blessing for busy parents.
I see the revenue raised through the Sugar Tax as a way to encourage more Mark Draycott’s and more Draycott Sports Camps across the country. How? I think schools should be offering their sports facilities free of charge for voluntary clubs and at a discounted rate for sports camps between the hours of 4-6pm. For many parents, teachers and community leaders, the cost of hiring school facilities outside of school hours is a huge barrier to putting on activities. Therefore money should be spent on subsidising the schools so that they don’t lose out on income when providing their facilities to activity groups.
We are already recruiting more PE teachers and they do a fantastic job of encouraging kids to be active. But we want more to have the same entrepreneurial spirit as Mark Draycott and provide clubs which keeps youngsters active all year round. It is often a positive experience at a young age which develops a love of sport, and a PE teacher plays a big part in igniting that passion.
I shall certainly continue to push for a solution that encourages kids to be active all year round and most importantly, a solution so that children can fully experience the many benefits that sport has to offer.
This week I was delighted to table a debate in Parliament, which received cross-party support and extensive media coverage, on the allocation of funding from the soft drinks industry levy for sport in schools.
We face an obesity crises in this country with the UK having one of the highest overall obesity rates amongst developed countries. Nearly a third of children leaving Primary School are overweight or obese. In my eyes this is a devastating situation. One that we need to tackle urgently, otherwise we do a huge disservice to our young people who will be faced with serious health problems and potentially shorter life spans. It sounds dramatic but you only have to look at research from organisations including Cancer Research UK, Diabetes UK and the Royal College of Surgeons to understand that this a serious health crises.
This is why I was pleased to hear that the money raised through the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (aka the Sugar Tax) would mean investing millions of pounds into school sport. To be precise, it is expected to deliver £520m in 2018-19. So far the Government has earmarked £285 million a year to give 25% of secondary schools increased opportunity to extend their school day; £10 million funding a year to expand breakfast clubs in up to 1,600 schools and £160 million per year to double the primary school PE and sport premium.
I want to make sure that the money raised provides the one off cash injection needed to kick-start more regular and sustainable sport for pupils in both primary and secondary schools. For an inspiring idea I didn’t have to look beyond North Swindon where there is one particular PE teacher in one of our local schools who is getting more kids playing sport and getting active. Mark Draycott is a former semi-pro footballer who now works at Oakhurst Primary School and runs Draycott Sports Camp which oversees an after-school club, a Saturday morning club and sporting camps throughout the holidays. It is also a blessing for busy parents.
I see the revenue raised through the Sugar Tax as a way to encourage more Mark Draycott’s and more Draycott Sports Camps across the country. How? I think schools should be offering their sports facilities free of charge for voluntary clubs and at a discounted rate for sports camps between the hours of 4-6pm. For many parents, teachers and community leaders, the cost of hiring school facilities outside of school hours is a huge barrier to putting on activities. Therefore money should be spent on subsidising the schools so that they don’t lose out on income when providing their facilities to activity groups.
We are already recruiting more PE teachers and they do a fantastic job of encouraging kids to be active. But we want more to have the same entrepreneurial spirit as Mark Draycott and provide clubs which keeps youngsters active all year round. It is often a positive experience at a young age which develops a love of sport, and a PE teacher plays a big part in igniting that passion.
I shall certainly continue to push for a solution that encourages kids to be active all year round and most importantly, a solution so that children can fully experience the many benefits that sport has to offer.
