As readers may be aware, this week has been National School Sports Week – an event organised by the Youth Sport Trust which celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of Physical Education (PE), school sports, and the health and wellbeing of children and young people.
As someone who was a very active child that loved nothing more than playing football with my friends, this week is very close to my heart. Not only is sport important for physical health, it also provides opportunities to relax and have fun – which in turn has a significant positive impact on mental wellbeing too. This past year has been incredibly challenging for young people, so initiatives which aim to support and improve mental health and wellbeing are more important than ever.
This year’s National School Sports Week has the theme ‘Together Again’, and the Youth Sports Trust has partnered with the Together Coalition to help see a summer of games and sport, celebrating togetherness and helping young people recover from the pandemic and re-socialise after such a challenging time.
During my time in Parliament, I have been a passionate advocate for physical education, school sports and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. As such, I was delighted that this week also saw the Government confirm funding for higher quality PE lessons and better sport opportunities next year.
The PE and Sport Premium will benefit from a £320 million investment from the Government – which will be used to encourage children to play more sport, increase their social skills, and improve their physical activity after lockdown. Schools will also be able to improve the quality of their teaching and make longer-term, sustainable changes to their lessons.
I was also delighted to hear this week that TWIGS has been chosen as Swindon Borough Council’s preferred provider to remain at the Cheney Manor site. TWIGS is a fantastic, long-standing local charity, which does vital work to support people who experience mental health problems, using nature and gardening as a way to build confidence and self-esteem.
It is incredible how much just taking the time to appreciate the beauty of nature around us can improve our mood. There is a joy to hearing birds singing, feeling the warmth of the sun on your face or seeing a garden bursting with colour – this is what makes organisations such as TWIGS so important.
I have seen first-hand the amazing work TWIGS has done to help people who are experiencing issues with their mental health, along with their work to tackle the stigma around the issue. As such, I am very pleased that they will be able to continue this extremely vital work.
On a final note, our vaccine programme continues to progress, with all adults aged 18 and over now being invited to receive a vaccine in England. In conjunction with this, the Government is working with popular social media platforms to encourage youngsters to take up their jabs. I understand that social media platforms such as Snapchat, Reddit, TikTok, and YouTube are being utilised as part of this vaccine drive.
So far, we have met our target of offering a vaccine to the most vulnerable by 15 April and, I am pleased to say, we are on track to offer a first dose to all adults by 19 July.
