- More than half (55%) of young Londoners are not achieving the recommended levels of physical activity (approximately 620,000), with girls being 8% less active than boys.
- London Sport and Nuffield Health’s new partnership will deliver Move Together classes in schools to more than 3,000 11–16-year-old girls across the capital.
- Nuffield Health’s Move Together programme offers free, fun movement classes designed for girls aged 11-16 to get them moving in a safe and enjoyable environment.
- The 12-month partnership aims to improve access to exercise for girls in communities with low activity levels and to promote positive movement habits that will last into adulthood.
23 July 2024, London – London Sport and Nuffield Health have announced a 12-month partnership to deliver Move Together classes in London-based communities facing the greatest levels of inactivity. Fun, accessible activity classes will be held across eight London schools initially, with the aim of supporting an additional 3,000 girls to access the Move Together programme.
More than half (55%) of young Londoners (approximately 620,000) are not achieving the recommended levels of physical activity for their health and wellbeing, according to Sport England’s latest ‘Active Lives Children and Young People Survey’. The research also reveals a gender movement gap that is 2% wider than the national average, with girls being 8% less active than boys (42% vs 50%). There are approximately 40,000 more active boys than active girls in London.
Further research from Nuffield Health demonstrates the importance of tackling barriers to exercise from an early age and instilling positive attitudes and behaviours around movement that can be carried into adulthood. The survey found that almost half (48%) of parents who were less active growing up said this was because they weren’t raised in a ‘sporty family’, 34% said they didn’t enjoy sport growing up and 25% weren’t encouraged to by their adult role models.
To tackle these issues, London Sport and Nuffield Health are appealing to parents in London to sign up their girls aged 11-16 to Move Together, with additional classes and locations set to be rolled out in the near future.
This partnership will be locally led and managed through close relationships with schools who are benefitting from the Department for Education’s Opening Schools Facilities Fund. Through this programme, London Sport support nearly 200 schools to open their sports facilities outside of school hours to enable more young people in the wider community to access increased opportunities to take part in physical activity.
Eight London schools will be paired with Nuffield Health Fitness and Wellbeing Centres to host the classes, with sessions at Harris Academy in Peckham and Heathcoat School in Chingford already up and running. Aligning with London Sport’s leading ‘Space for Girls’ project, the classes will be tailored to, and informed by the girls taking part, to help them find their own way to be active in spaces that they feel safe.
Vicky Fitzgerald, Health Improvement Lead at Nuffield Health said:
“We’re excited to be partnering with London Sport to not only tackle some of the barriers to exercise young girls are facing across the capital, but to also bring together the knowledge and resource across both charities to make significant change at a local level. We’ve seen the positive impact programmes like Move Together are already having on girls across the nation, and we hope to expand this positive impact by reaching communities across London with the greatest levels of inactivity.
These statistics highlight that change needs to happen, and we want to utilise this partnership to help girls to be more physically active. Through our collaborative efforts, we are dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of those living in London.”
Tanya Rabin, Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications at London Sport, said:
“The levels of inactivity and inequalities that exist in London are a real cause for concern, and it’s absolutely critical that more priority is given to end the child inactivity crisis to avoid future health issues, improve children’s academic performance and mental health, and reduce pressure on the NHS.
With girls historically being less likely to be active that boys, it’s great to be able to partner with Nuffield Health to bring these free and fun fitness classes to girls to enable positive physical activity habits for life,”
For more information or to find a free Move Together class near you, visit: http://www.nuffieldhealth.com/movetogether
ENDS
Notes to editors
Media Enquiries
For media enquiries, including interview requests, please contact:
Megan Greenhalgh, Press Officer at Nuffield Health [email protected]
Lucy Bishop, Head of Communications at London Sport [email protected]
Footnotes
[1] Refers to data from the Active Lives Children and Young People Survey for the academic year 2022-2023, sample size for London 8,939
2 Refers to research conducted by Censuswide listed below which surveyed 1,005 parents, caregivers and guardians of girls aged 11-16
3 ‘Less active’ = Of those who exercised 2-3 times a week or less growing up. The term ‘parents’, refers to parents, guardians and caregivers of girls aged 11 – 16
Research information:
The further research from Nuffield Health was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 1005 parents of girls aged 11-16, and girls aged 11-16. The data was collected between 25.06.2024 – 28.06.2024.
Sport England’s Active Lives Children and Young People Survey was conducted for the academic year 2022-2023, sample size for London 8,939
About Nuffield Health
Driven by our purpose to build a healthier nation, our experts have been working together for more than 65 years to make the nation fitter, healthier, happier and stronger. Nuffield Health provides health and wellbeing for every part of you. We believe that the best healthcare should help prevent illness by looking after mind and body. That’s why our connected health and wellbeing offering spans physical and mental health – from providing mental health support or hospital care and treatment to personal training, health assessments, GP services and physiotherapy. We work together as a team to help you achieve your health and wellbeing ambitions, championing free health and wellbeing programmes in local communities by giving more people the tools they need to live a healthy life. These programmes help people understand and improve their own health, from those living with joint pain, to helping rehabilitate people experiencing the long-term effects from COVID-19. Find out more about us and our pioneering models of are: https://www.nuffieldhealth.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
About Move Together
Nuffield Health are delivering free fitness classes designed for girls aged 11-16 across the UK at their Fitness and Wellbeing Centres. The Move Together Programme has reached over 7,000 girls up and down the country over the last 12 months.
About London Sport
London Sport is a charity that exists to help ensure more Londoners live happier, healthier lives through access to sport and physical activity. Supported by Sport England and the Mayor of London, London Sport collaborates with those that share our vision, running and supporting projects that help children, young people and the least active adults to embed sport and physical activity into their lives.
About Opening Schools Facilities Fund
The fund, provided by the Department for Education, is designed to support schools open their existing sport facilities, including school swimming pools, for their pupils, local young people and the wider community outside of the school day. As of 2024, London Sport has funded over 180 schools across London to run a variety of projects to achieve this aim. There have been 39,817 children and young people and 5,093 community user attendances at OSF sessions run so far.
About Space for Girls
London Sport’s Space for Girls project creates safe, welcoming hubs in key London communities for women and girls to be physically active. The project aims to serve communities with low activity levels by transforming unused and non-traditional spaces into active hubs. Space for Girls is a research-led project, with extensive community voice involved within its planning. Consortia of local communities and teenage girls were consulted to ensure the activities on offer were of interest to the target audience, and that the location of the projects were deemed safe and accessible.
