http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/ Future Fitness is the fresh new magazine dedicated to promoting sport and fitness for today's youth. It comes from the same team behind Workout - the fitness world's number one magazine - so it's a name the industry knows and trusts. en-uk Copyright Wharncliffe Publishing Limited 2008 2008-11-04 09:00:54 2008-11-04 09:00:54 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/ http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/images/rsslogo.gif http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-11 A BOXING training initiative in London, launched to help tackle childhood obesity, has received a visit from health secretary Alan Johnson. Fight Fit Training and Development aims to help young people with behavioural problems turn their lives around with a combination of sport and life coaching. The scheme was set up by FIA member Martin McKenzie and is backed by Derek 'Sweet D' Williams, former European and Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-11-04 09:00:54 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-11 YOUNG people with little access to health and fitness facilities are being supported by a new campaign from the charity 4Children. The Make Space for Health scheme will deliver a programme of teenage health advice and activities through youth centres and after school clubs. It will also aim to bring together all the organisations responsible for children's health in a local area to make sure all community activities are coordinated. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-11-04 09:00:16 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-10 A MERSEYSIDE handball club has become the first in the country to achieve Clubmark accreditation. Speke Garston Community Handball Club has been awarded the mark of quality, which has been developed in partnership between Sport England and the National Governing Bodies of Sport. Its aim is to ensure all sports clubs are continually working towards being safe, effective and child friendly. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-10-01 15:35:57 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-10 POLE dancing instructor Christine Davies has been nominated for a nationwide award for her work bringing fun fitness to children. Christine spent six months working as a dancer in clubs before deciding to change her focus to fitness and set up her own business Polefact. Now she has been nominated for the Barclays Trading Places Award, which aims to reward people who have changed their lives through setting up their own companies. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-10-01 15:35:30 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-09 A SCHOOL in London is reporting success after it incorporated inline skating into its PE programme in a bid to help pupils get more active. Teachers at Phoenix School in Tower Hamlets worked with the National Healthy Schools Programme to promote popular 'street sports' to help make PE lessons more appealing. It is offered to a variety of students including those with special needs including autism and language and communication difficulties. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-09-10 17:04:31 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-09 BOXING legend Frank Bruno will be teaching pupils of a Kent sports college who take part in a new package for post-16 students. The Sports Academy package run by Priory School in Orpington will incorporate the Frank Bruno Boxing Academy alongside BTEC level 3, FA coaching and YMCA instructor awards. Frank will take time to teach the 14 pupils already signed up, who will receive two hours of training a day from September. Laura Mcloughlin, leader of the BTEC for the sports academy, said: 'We were meant to be starting quite small with just a few teachers but we have had such a good response to the package that we have doubled the number of teachers and split the 35 pupils into two groups.' Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-09-10 17:04:02 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-08 IT'S game, set and match for thousands of lucky youngsters as a tennis hotspot launches a new promotional campaign. Children will be encouraged to pick up a tennis racquet in the borough of Haringey, one of just five areas in the country selected in the first wave of hotspots by the Tennis Foundation. Haringey was the only London borough selected - others being Nottingham and Loughborough, St Albans and Welwyn, Reading and Workington and Portsmouth - and they were rewarded as recognition of efforts made by the council and its partners to promote tennis among all sections of the community. Lead coaches, Robby Sukhdeo and Siwan Stephens, head up the campaign which aims to create more free tennis facilities for all residents along with dedicated tennis programmes for every primary school. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-08-05 10:20:24 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-08 GYMS have been warned to check the legal implications of offering Thai Boxing classes for children following the screening of a controversial documentary. The programme - Strictly Baby Fight Club - prompted enquiries about the risks which young children involved in the sport are exposed to. In response, the NSPCC's Child Protection in Sport Unit stepped in to offer guidance on the current legislation, sending out a letter which is also published on its website. It said as Thai Boxing is not considered a sport by any of the UK Sports Councils or the Department for Culture Media and Sport and - as it has no single governing body - there is no-one to engage with to raise concerns. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-08-05 10:19:45 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-07 THE first ever National School Sport Week is set to become the biggest school sport event in history, with the largest number of pupils ever to be involved in school sport at any one time. Since the initiative was announced in February by the Prime Minister and Dame Kelly Holmes, plans have been finalised to hold the week-long event from June 30 this year - with an aim of engaging over three million school children across the country. The event, managed by the Youth Sport Trust and supported by Norwich Union, will be shaped by pupils who have been set the task of coming up with the most innovative activity during the week. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-07-09 11:35:09 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-07 THE number of schools in Barnsley doing two hours of sport a week has risen from less than 30 per cent to 90 per cent in six years. This increase in two-hour provision has been across all schools but has been noticeably more significant in KS2. Darren Padgett, partnership development manager for Priory Sports College School Sport Partnership claims that this is because KS2 teachers were more willing to undertake more adventurous methods. He said: 'More training has been accessed by these teachers (who are also PLTs) than any other group.' However he suggests that this is slowly changing as courses become more relevant to KS1 staff - i.e. TOP Play+ and others we provide - based on multi skill concepts.S Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-07-01 14:09:55 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-06 SPINNING classes developed especially for teenagers are being offered to kids in Scotland to help them boost their fitness. Equipment supplier Star Trac is working with the HealthWays Healthy Living Project, providing TeenSPIN sessions to school pupils.   Year Nine and Ten students have been enrolled onto the six-week project at the Invergordon Academy, doing 30-minute sessions twice a week. At the end of the programme, their fitness levels will be reassessed and used to prove to students the difference exercise can make. Mark Sharples, the instructor leading the project, said: 'This is an excellent way to engage young people in aerobic activity in a fun way. This is a great way for young people to develop a zest for physical activity into adulthood.' Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-06-03 09:26:24 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-06 AN independent gym owner has hit out at schools which she claims dismissed her efforts to get children into exercise and healthy eating. Sharon Wickens - owner of ladies only gym Paradise Walk - said she had been inspired to offer discount memberships and fitness classes for schools to help crack the obesity epidemic. But, she claims, she received only a negative response and a lack of interest from the schools she visited. She added: 'I would like to offer cheap rate classes for schools so they could bring their kids in but I went to some schools and didn't get one response. 'It was so energy sapping going round these schools and talking to people and I just felt like it was a waste of time." Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-06-03 09:25:47 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-05 HACKNEY Council has won a £220,000 windfall to set up a youth sports fund after taking legal action against global sports brand Nike. The out-of-court settlement has come after the council accused Nike of using its logo on a range of World Cup sportswear, without seeking permission. It has been used to set up the Hackney Youth Sports Fund which will run until 2012 and supports promising individuals and clubs. Kim Wright, corporate director for community services said: 'It is great to see so many talented young people and local clubs benefit from the compensation money the council fought for." Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-05-02 09:51:13 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-05 A PE teacher has devised a fitness programme which saw a quarter of overweight school children lose a stone - and he is now looking to expand it nationally. Kevin Matthew, at Lea Valley High School in Enfield, set up an exercise referral unit to help encourage exercise and fitness and improve motivation and concentration in disengaged pupils. After taking part in the pilot course, 60 per cent of the class decided to stay on for 6th Form and a quarter of the group lost a stone on average. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-05-02 09:50:06 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-04 By Louise Cordell A GIRLS' school in London has joined forces with the Reebok Sports Club to help its pupils enjoy a healthier lifestyle. One of the club's instructors has been delivering mind and body fusion classes, working with GCSE dance students and even getting the staff involved. Reebok's managing director, Ian Mahoney, said: 'We got involved with Mulberry School and spoke to the PE team there to ask them if there was any way we could help get the girls more involved in exercise and provide something a bit different that might attract them. 'We ended up running three groups with the school, first a curriculum class based around movement and dance, then a voluntary lunchtime class for the girls and finally, due to popular demand, an after school class for staff members.' The scheme started in the spring term of 2007 and has continued every term since. Ian added: ''It has been very successful, mostly because the PE team at the school have been fantastic and very supportive. 'We are proud of our achievements so far and are keen to keep it going and see where it takes us. Rebecca Sloane, Mulberry School's head of PE, believes that the project has had a positive impact on all the students. She said: 'It has been really wonderful having Reebok's instructor, Kelly, working with the girls. 'The students all thought she was great and really liked working with someone from such a well known club. 'It can be a real challenge to get girls into sport and exercise, but I really think the partnership has reached out to students that would never normally have got involved. 'One of the best things about the classes is that they cater for all levels of experience, are individual and relaxed and let people do as much or as little as they are able to, with lots of encouragement. 'We plan to keep working with Reebok for as long as possible, Kelly has been a great role model for the girls and this is extremely important.' Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-04-01 10:19:02 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-03 By Francess Sykes A KITE sports project has succeeded in doubling the activity levels of disengaged pupils from 31 schools in Great Yarmouth. Cliff Park School Sports Partnership teamed up with Active X – one of the first kite sports schools based project in the UK – to introduce inactive children aged seven to 18 to a new activity. Marten Payne, GY Active X coordinator said: “We had great success working with pupil referral groups and found kite sports a fantastic tool to boost participant’s confidence levels and get them to push their own boundaries in a safe environment. We were very taken back by the demand for places in our after school clubs with over 100 children applying for the 25 spaces available.” Marten told Future Fitness that after attending kite sessions the number of structured activity sessions the young people participated in increased by 50 per cent. This was a jump from two sessions a week (PE only in school) to four sessions a week. Marten said: “Kite sports have many benefits, as the kites produce lift and traction they can provide a mini resistance and cardiovascular workout, its also great for arm and leg muscles. But there are other hidden benefits such as the mental health aspects, team working and self discovery.” Due to the success of the pupil referral course Active X launched teacher courses. He qualified 19 teachers locally last year who are all delivering their own school based clubs during lunch time and as extended schools projects. Marten said: “On completion of the course successful candidates will be able to teach students from basic set up to simulating riding a board using their course manuals with lesson plans as back up. There are other tricks such as jumping and scudding where you use the wind window to generate traction and lift. Power kiting is not a stationary sport.” This year the project will be extended to other SSPs outside of Great Yarmouth who may be interested in developing their own kite sport projects. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-03-03 10:47:55 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-02 By Francess Sykes SCIENTISTS have found that playing active games on computer consoles uses up more energy than traditional computer games – but nowhere near as much as real sport. The researchers at Liverpool John Moores University assessed a group of six boys and five girls aged 13-15 years. All of the participants were of a healthy weight, competent at sport, and regularly played sedentary computer games. Before the study started, they also had a chance to practice playing both the active and inactive games. They played four computer games for 15 minutes each while wearing a monitoring device to record their energy expenditure. The first game was the inactive Project Gotham Racing 3 game on the XBOX 360. After a five minute rest, they then played competitive bowling, tennis and boxing matches on the Nintendo Wii Sports for 15 minutes with a five minute rest between each sport. Total playing time for each child was 60 minutes. The results show that all games significantly increased energy expenditure above resting rates, particularly in the boys. Postgraduate researcher Lee Graves, added: "It is estimated that on average children play computer games in two hour long sessions twice a week. While active gaming would only increase their total energy expenditure by just two per cent, this could still contribute to weight management." The highest energy expenditure rates were recorded during active gaming, with increases of 60 kcal per hour compared to sedentary gaming. However, this is still much lower than if you were actually playing bowling, tennis and boxing, and the exercise was not intense enough to contribute towards the recommended amount of daily physical activityfor children. Gareth Stratton, Professor in paediatric exercise science, said: “What is good about active gaming is that it gets children up on their feet, moving in all directions and performing basic motor skills not evident during seated gaming. “Given the prevalence of childhood obesity, such positive behaviours should be encouraged.” The authors are now calling for further research to investigate the energy demands of active gaming across sexes, ages and consoles. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-02-19 11:19:50 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-02 By Nicola Hyde TRADITIONAL sport needs to be given a modern twist to attract more children, according to a youth fitness expert. Mike Diaper, project director of the government’s PE, School Sport and Club Links Strategy, spoke at the Youth Sport Trust School and Sport Partnerships' Conference. He said although a lot of great work has been done to encourage the take up of school sport, more needs to be done to keep children’s interest after they have left in the evening. He added: “It’s about taking traditional sport and delivering it differently. I think the best example I have seen of this is Midnight Madness Basketball in London. “You just turn up at 11pm, you can wear whatever you want, you get to use cool Nike kit and there is music blasting out. “It’s not what I would want to do on a Friday night but it is what lots of kids want. I’ve seen the same happen in boxing. I think we also need some non-traditional options as well, for example dance and fitness. “It’s really all about listening to what young people want and then providing it. Providing the sorts of changing rooms they want, the sort of kit they like and so on. “We have been good at doing this within school settings but not always as good when kids move into club or community provision. That’s why some clubs remain uninviting places. “That has to change. We need just as much innovation within club or community environments as we have seen within school settings.” Mike said he was delighted when he heard that 86 per cent of schools were managing at least two hours of sport – achieving the PSA target a year early – and praised the work of School Sports Partnerships. He added there was a 50 per cent group of children which could be encouraged to do more. He added: “It’s about making sure activities get delivered in the right place at the right time. “So running a session when the youngsters wants it – so perhaps Saturday afternoon – instead of straight after school when they are worn out and cheesed off.” Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-02-19 11:18:27 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-02 UK SCHOOL pupils are spending far less time doing sport than their European counterparts, a study has revealed. In a report commissioned by the European Parliament, Britain’s schools ranked 15th out of 27 countries in offering two hours of timetabled PE a week. The data – collected by the researchers at the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) – suggests that British secondary school pupils do half has much physical education as their French counterparts. James MacDougall, European and international officer at CCPR, said: “If further progress in school sport is to be made the case for equality for school sport needs to be addressed.” The report highlights research showing that the UK also suffers from participation drop-off, particularly after school compared with the Finnish population, which attains very high levels of activity well into old age, and Australia and Germany having relatively stable participation levels throughout adulthood. James added: “Given the investment currently being made in schools in the UK, and the impact this investment is having on the number of children accessing up to five hours of school sport a week, there is a worrying failure to convert childhood activity into active adulthood. “It points to the fact that the correct balance between investment in school and community sport has not yet been reached in the UK. Were investment in school sport to be mirrored by that in grassroots clubs, this drop-off could be significantly reduced.” What do you think? Write to Francess Sykes at Future Fitness, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-02-19 11:17:16 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-02 KIDS games like football and kiss chase are being banned in school playgrounds because of controversial health and safety rules. Paul Cooper, of Give Us Back Our Game, has launched a campaign to increase the participation of football and assess the state of playground football in UK schools. He said his research has even led to him being contacted by parents - one revealed that her son’s primary school, the same that George Best attended, had banned the game for children under four. He said: “The facts are alarming this is where the UK's best ever player learned to play the game. Another school near Lincoln has even banned kiss chase. “We are now living in a society where outdoor play for children is something done by a different generation - children are no longer allowed to even link arms. Simple changes like using a soft ball or having a dedicated space for ball games can solve a lot of problems.” It follows a study from the education department at Keele University which has revealed that half schools surveyed have banned football as well as other ball games. Another study by the Institute of Education at the University of London shows that between 1990 and 2006 school lunchtimes have been reduced by 30 per cent and afternoon breaks scrapped in many. Government ministers have now pledged to end the "no ball games" culture with the announcement of a multi-million pound plan to rebuild thousands of playgrounds. Over the next three years, £225m will be spent on building or upgrading more than 3,500 playgrounds and setting up 30 new supervised adventure playgrounds, designed for the 8-13 age group, in deprived communities. *What do you think? Write to Francess Sykes, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS or email fs@whpl.net Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-02-07 14:40:52 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-01 HALF of all newly qualified primary school teachers have only received six hours of training to teach physical education, it has been revealed. The Association for Physical Education (afPE) has written to the Prime Minister demanding action to be taken over the issue but afPE’s chief executive, Professor Margaret Talbot says that the government is reluctant even to admit that there is a problem. She told Future Fitness that this is a national scandal – the most serious systemic weakness in the whole delivery system. She said: “Too many initial training providers pay only lip service to physical education and, through no fault of their own, thousands of newly qualified teachers are begining their careers, without the training which they, and the children they teach, deserve.” Margaret says the Training and Development Agency, the body resposible for teacher workforce planning and development, should be taking the issue of non-compliance among some providers of initial teacher training for primary physical education more seriously. Adding that this lack of training can have serious implications for both the health and safety of children and should there be an accident during the early years of practice by a newly qualified teacher, which can be attributed to inadequate initial teacher training, then liability can be attributed to the provider of the initial teacher training. She said: “If some teacher training courses can manage to allocate 30 hours or more (the recommended minimum by the National Summit on Physical Education in 2005), then so can all.” Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-01-02 14:38:48 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-01 MAYOR of London Ken Livingstone has published ‘Inclusive and Active’ – an action plan designed to help increase the number of disabled people in London participating in any sport at any level. Disabled Londoners currently have fewer opportunities or choice of sports and sports activities and facilities that others already enjoy leading to fewer than one in five of disabled adults in London regularly taking part in any sport and physical activity. The Mayor said: “This report will address any concerns people have that disabled people will not reap the benefits of the London 2012 Games legacy. “By working together with boroughs and national and local sporting associations to deliver the plan we can make a difference to the lives of disabled people before and after 2012, and create a sports legacy for disabled people of which we will be proud.” The action plan jointly commissioned by the Mayor, Sport England and London Sports Forum for Disabled People sets out ten key priority action points to tackle the inequalities that exist and to help increase both sporting participation and success at every level. These include recruiting and training more disabled people as sports coaches with £500,000 funding already committed from the London Development Agency and increasing the number of existing sport and leisure facilities that are fully accessible and inclusive to disabled people. Sean Holt, director of Sport England London, added: “Sport England strongly supports Inclusive and Active and we are fully committed to playing our role in tackling the challenges and barriers that disabled people face with regards to taking part in sport and physical activity. “The recent Active People survey showed that nine per cent of disabled Londoners aged 16 and above participate in 30 minutes of sport or active recreation at least three times a week, compared to 21.3 per cent of Londoners without disabilities. It is imperative that we use this plan to encourage at least one per cent more disabled people to regularly participate in sport and physical activity year on year, in order to start narrowing the gap. This is a demanding target as this means 8-9,000 more disabled people participating each year or 40-45,000 between now and 2012. “Inclusive and Active provides a perfect opportunity to open the debate with partners and stakeholders in order to raise the profile and secure much needed investment and resources for this key area.” Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-01-02 14:38:42 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-01 By Francess Sykes CONTROVERSIAL rules which mean children with learning disabilities can’t compete in their own category in the UK School Games should be scrapped, according to lobbyists. The contest, run by the Youth Sports Trust, adopted the Paralympic principles, which means the children with learning disabilities did not have their own specific catergory and had to compete with everyone else. The decision came under fire from mental health charity Mencap who said the choice to not add a specific category was unjust. Dame Jo Williams, chief executive of Mencap told Future Fitness that the ruling could have effectively ‘banned’ thousands of children from entering. She added: “It is inexcusable that children with a learning disability are being discriminated against because of the Paralympic ruling for adults. “We strongly urge the government to find a solution, so that children with a learning disability have the chance to compete in next year’s UK School Games. “The UK has a good track record on disability discrimination it would be scandalous if we were not able to resolve this.” But Steve Grainger, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust, added: “Young people with learning disabilities are in no way excluded from the UK School Games, there are just no specific events. “Throughout sport, there are examples of athletes with a learning disability who have competed against others with no disability and become champions such as Olympic Swimmer Duncan Goodhew and Boxer Mohammed Ali.” He added that children with learning disabilities did compete in this year’s games - which were held in August - but said he could not reveal more details due to welfare protection laws. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has now invited the Youth Sport Trust and Mencap to discuss ways to provide more opportunities for children with learning disabilities. Steve added: “We understand the International Paralympic Committee plan to re-evaluate the participation of athletes with a learning disability following the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and will keep abreast of these discussions. “In the meantime, all young people remain at the heart of our work and the UK School Games are just one part of the sporting landscape which we are driving.” n What do you think? Write to Francess Sykes, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS or email fs@whpl.net. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-01-02 14:38:37 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2008-01 By Francess Sykes LESS than three per cent of UK 11-year-olds are taking enough exercise, according to a new report. Research published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood monitored the physical activity levels of more than 5,500 11-year-olds in the South West of England over seven consecutive days between January 2003 and January 2005. The children were part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), which has tracked the health of more than 14,000 children since birth. Each child was kitted out with a special piece of equipment (accelerometer), worn on an elasticated belt, which recorded minute-by-minute the intensity and frequency of physical activity. The researchers were particularly interested in total levels of physical activity and the amount of moderate to vigorous exercise the kids were taking daily. When the data was analysed, it showed that the children were around twice as physically active as adults, but they were still not active enough. Boys were more physically active than girls, and they were also more likely to engage in moderate to vigorous forms of activity. One in five (22 per cent) girls averaged at least one bout of moderate to vigorous activity a day, lasting at least five minutes. This compares with 40 per cent of the boys. But both sexes spent most of their day in light intensity activities. Less than one per cent of the children averaged at least one 20-minute bout a day. And only just over five per cent of the boys and 0.4 per cent of the girls actually achieved current recommended daily levels of physical activity, equating to 2.5 per cent across both sexes. The authors say that only sustained activity is likely to promote cardiorespiratory fitness, adding: “It is a sobering thought that children’s activity levels actually peak at around this age (11) and decline precipitously during adolescence.” Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-01-02 14:38:25 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-11 A CONTROVERSIAL decision to ban contact sports in a school has been overruled by the council after just one day, Future Fitness can reveal. Headteacher Colin McLean enforced a strict "no hands rule" on all children at Kellands Primary School in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, which included a ban on playground sports such as football and rugby. The ban - that lasted a day - was in reaction to a violent fight between two 11 year old boys during a game of playground football. In a letter sent out to all parents, he wrote: "Children will be told they are not allowed to touch each other in the playground. "This will be called the No Hands Rule. If a child reports physical contact as a concern it will be treated as a breach of school rules." Education officials questioned the merits of the ban and it was overruled within a day. A spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said: “There had been a few incidents and as a result a pupil forum and the parent council has been involved with the school looking at playground behaviour and this ban was put into place until the outcome of that was decided. “We want our kids to be healthy like any other local authority does that’s why we put money into local fitness facilities. “The headmaster didn’t want to eradicate fitness at the school - it was just a temporary solution.” Judith Gillespie, of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, said: “The Authority does not have a ruling banning football or contact sports (indeed it encourages sport of all types) and in introducing such a ruling at his school, the headteacher over-stepped the mark.” Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-11-01 15:04:44 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-11 FOOTBALLING legend Gary Lineker has opened two state of the art playgrounds donated to Leicester and Reading councils by Walkers. Designed to help children engage in physical activity the two £100,000 playgrounds blend traditional play equipment with electronic playground system to make exercise fun for children who might normally find playing with a games console more fun than sport. In an exclusive interview Gary Lineker told Future Fitness that he believes the interactive route is a path the nation now needs to go down. He said: “It’s what kids are used to now. There are so many distractions that it can be difficult to get kids off their backsides. I think something like this will help.” The former England ace said that although obesity issue are well covered in this country that he doesn’t think diet is particularly any different to what it has always been. He said: “The fundamental difference is that now it is harder to get kids out on the street. So something like this, in a nice safe environment will hopefully get kids out moving. “We’ve got a little football pitch and a basketball net so it’s not just your regular park stuff like swing and a seesaw it’s also encouraging them to play sport as well.” As an employer in the Reading and Leicester areas, Walkers say they are to pu something back into the local community in which it operates.  Neil Campbell, general manager, Walkers, said: “We’ve spent months planning the design which we hope will encourage children to have fun whilst exercising. I hope it will prove really popular with local Leicester families.” Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-11-01 15:03:57 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-11 NORFOLK schools have smashed a national target to increase the amount of PE in schools - a year ahead of schedule. The government target around PE and sport recommends that, by the end of next year, 85 per cent of schoolchildren should participate in two hours of PE and sport a week. But, latest figures reveal that 86 per of children are already take part in the recommended amount. In the West Norwich and Dereham School Sport Partnership 97 per cent are getting the recommend amount of physical activity. Norfolk County Council's head of PE, sport and physical development, Martin Radmore, said: “Physical activity also improves well-being, behaviour, attendance and attitude. This is not just about tackling obesity it is about improving participation, communication and confidence. “We want physical activity to be an everyday part of the lives of everyone in Norfolk and where better to start than with our children.” Norfolk County Council's sport and physical development team has been working with schools to try to increase physical activity. The latest initiative is The Youth Sport Trust's Get Moving Get Learning programme. The programme uses physical activity to support the teaching of literacy, numeracy, science, history, geography, art and design, citizenship and RE at Key Stage One. Cabinet member for children's services, Rosalie Monbiot, said: “Sport provides young people with so many skills, particularly around team building and communication, and it is vital for their physical development.” It is hoped by increasing the amount of PE and sport in schools, children will be encouraged to pursue extra-curricular activities and join clubs and teams outside of school. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-11-01 15:02:29 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-11 500 more school nurses need to be employed immediately to fight the obesity time bomb, an health professional has warned. School Health Officer Ros Godson told Future Fitness that school nurses are ideally placed to offer advice and counseling to young people on diet and nutritional issues – but stressed that at the moment there are just too few to deal with the growing obesity crisis. She revealed that government guidelines suggests that by 2010 there should be one full-time school nurse in every secondary school in England but that there are currently 3,367 secondary schools and only 856 school nurses. She said: “At the current rate of training the government’s target may not be achieved until 2023.” She warned that money earmarked for the school nurse service is not ‘ring fenced’ and therefore vulnerable to being diverted into meeting the budget deficits of Primary Care Trusts. She said: “The reason why there is such a gap is because PCT’s spend their money on other things.Children's public health is not their priority. School nurses can’t prove a negative, and preventative work is just that. They are more interested in the cure rather than the prevention.” Ros is planning to meet with the health minister to call for every schools to have it own equipment to weigh and measure children. She said: “Getting weighed should be a normal part of growing up not just a one off occurrence in year’s one and six.” Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-11-01 15:00:41 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-10 FORMER Olympic athlete Roger Black has launched a fitness scheme for young people in Woking. The Junior Summer Fitness Challenge was organised by Woking Leisure Centre in partnership with Guildford Spectrum Leisure Complex to motivate children aged between four and 14 to increase their levels of physical activity. Participants are encouraged to try as wide a variety of activities as possible, anything from walking the dog and cycling round the block to a game of tennis or swimming. The aim is for each young person to complete 30 physical activities over the summer to earn themselves a medal and certificate. As an added incentive, each child will receive a free fitness diary to record all of their activities and for every ten they complete, Woking Leisure Centre will reward them with a free swimming pass to the Lagoon Pool at Woking's Pool in the Park. Coun Michael Smith said: "Obese children are a growing worry, nationally. This initiative offers a great opportunity for children to have fun being active with their friends this summer. “Woking's Junior Summer Fitness Challenge will help to promote a healthier lifestyle for young people in our area but, more importantly, will be fun for them too. I hope so much that lots of families will get involved and that everyone will have a good time getting fitter." Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-10-02 09:19:58 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-10 FITNESS facilities across Bolton are introducing children’s equipment and programmes in a bid to get families back into leisure centres. Substantial investment has been committed into youth health and fitness within Bolton Community Leisure’s (BLC) centres, which are operated by Serco Leisure. In partnership with Bolton Council, the centres are rolling out a number of initiatives to get kids active and encourage their parents to join them, including offering free unlimited swimming sessions to under 16’s. Steven Bainbridge was appointed youth health and fitness coordinator, specifically to drive the initiatives forward. He said: “It’s time to get children and families back into the leisure centres. Leisure centres have been going downhill for a long time, losing out to the private sector because they are not providing enough for the community. “We’re a lot cheaper than the chains because we are a leisure trust and now we can offer a similar product. We’re really going for it with children’s activities.” Funded by the local authority, other initiatives include the installation of dance mats and children’s gym equipment, and the launch of a programme of exercise classes for the summer. One leisure centre is already holding father and son swimming sessions, with mother and daughter sessions planned for the near future. A ‘quid a kid’ scheme has also been launched – inviting children to participate in activities such as roller discos and rugby training for one pound a session – and a new junior membership structure has been put into place. Steven added: “With all the government and media attention, parents are a lot more aware of their children’s health and fitness and we now have accessible facilities for all the family. “As children become more overweight, many of them don’t want to participate in group sports so it’s important we provided something for them.” In September, BLC will be starting the FIA’s GO programme with two high schools in the area, and launching a MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It!) programme in association with Bolton Primary Care Trust. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-10-02 09:19:52 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-10 A £100m campaign to give every child five hours of sport each week has been unveiled by the government. The plans include launching competition between schools, a network of competition leaders and a new National School Sports Week. Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the programme while visiting the West London Academy, a school with an excellent reputation for sport, with Sport Secretary James Purnell, Children, Schools Secretary Ed Balls, and Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes. He called for a "united team effort" from the Government, schools, parents, volunteers and the sporting world to make sport a part of every child's day. He said: "We need to put school sport back where it belongs - playing a central role in the school day. I was lucky enough to have primary and secondary schools that had sport at the centre of their ethos. I want every child to have that opportunity to take part. "Whatever their natural ability and whatever their age sport and activity can make our children healthier, raise self-confidence and self-esteem. It develops teamwork, discipline and a sense of fair play. Values that will stand young people and the country in good stead in the years to come." It is hoped the scheme will help strengthen the competitive framework for school sport - from grassroots to elite. Steve Sinnott, of the Nation Union of Teachers, added: “Sport is vital in enthusing and giving a sense of direction to youngsters especially those in their teens. “I hope this important and welcome boost in funding will also trigger the rebuilding of this country’s youth services. They have been in catastrophic decline over the years. “Sport should be part of an overall strategy for channelling the energy of youngsters away from boredom and excessive hours in front of the TVs and computers and towards healthy and constructive social lives outside school.” * What do you think? Send your letters to Francess Sykes, Wharncliffe Publishing, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS or email fs@whpl.net. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-10-02 09:19:47 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-10 WELSH Schools are on course to smash the government’s target to get pupils doing an hour of physical activity a day, a report has revealed. The Sports Council for Wales says it has already seen a three per cent increase in the number of primary school children regularly taking part in sport and physical activity and a further three per cent increase, since 2004, in children aged seven to 11 doing the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity, five days a week. Chair of the Sports Council for Wales, Philip Carling, said: “The results of this survey are particularly encouraging however there are still major challenges ahead as we continue to build towards a healthier and more active nation. “We need to ensure that the good work that has already begun can continue well into the future and supporting children and young people to lead an active lifestyle is a sure fire way of developing active, healthy adults.” The survey also demonstrates that there has also been an increase in the number of children taking part in extra-curricular sporting activity with 84 per cent now getting active outside of school hours – a four per cent point increase on 2004 – with 63 per cent of children now taking part at least once a week. However, the survey highlights that boys (49 per cent) are more likely than girls (38 per cent) to be sufficiently active within school hours and the evidence suggests that this gender gap is increasing. However this makes little difference to levels of extra-curricular participation with 63 per cent of boys and 62 per cent of girls now taking part regularly. One of the projects responsible for the rise is the lottery funded Dragon Sport scheme a campaign to get primary school children hooked on out-of-school-hours sport. At its launch in October 2000, the scheme has exceeded all expectations with 92 per cent of primary schools in Wales are now actively involved. Rhodri Glyn Thomas, the Welsh Assembly Government Minister responsible for sport said: “These results are particularly encouraging but we must continue to work together to provide the opportunities for young people to be more active, more often so that we are able to see a continued improvement in the future.” Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-10-02 09:19:42 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-08 MEMBERS of the influential Association for Physical Education will now receive a subscription to Future Fitness as part of their membership benefits. The deal has been welcomed by afPE chief executive Margaret Talbot who said: “When we saw the first edition of Future Fitness, we were impressed by its coverage of a range of issues and by the fact that there was news from right across the UK. “This provides an additional source of information for our members and a channel for us to inform colleagues in other organisations about our activities and opportunities. “We hope our members will enjoy this additional service, which adds to the value provided for their annual subscriptions.” Future Fitness editor Andrew Harrod added: “We are happy to support the good work the association does by distributing our magazine to its membership.” Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-08-17 09:47:56 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-08 CHILDREN in the UK’s most deprived areas will be invited to a series of street athletic events by Olympic champions Linford Christie and Darren Campbell. The sprinting aces hope the programme will help encourage more children to take up atheletics and improve their confidence and self image. In an exclusive interview with Future Fitness, Linford Christie said: “Kids engaged in sport have less time to get into mischief. Sport can play a huge part in engaging young people and can reflect positively in other areas of their lives. “The aim is for kids from all areas feel welcome to take part in the events and are encouraged to use the sports facilities provided by the council and join a local athletics club.” The events, at venues across the UK, will see children race each other over 60 metres and be in with a chance of competing in a grand final in Manchester, to win a one year kit contract with Reebok. Linford added: “When we were kids we would challenge kids from other estates and neighbourhoods to race against us, if we hadn’t done that we wouldn’t have got where we are today, so we thought we would bring it back. “We set up 60 metres wherever we can find space and kids come along and race. We did one in an Asda car park once, the weather was really bad and we were worried that no one would turn up but we had more kids turn up than any other.” This year’s event, is being backed by Sport England, the Scottish Executive and is the third event since the programme launched in 2005. Linford said: “We are doing something nobody else is doing everybody is sitting back and talking about child obesity but we’re taking the first steps in hopefully showing kids that exercise can be fun. “You can’t get any basic than street athletics and any child can attend, we don’t differentiate. “The best thing about it is the kids don’t need anything to come and take part. No expensive equipment, no club membership, no entry fee, just a desire to take part.” Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-08-17 09:47:06 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-08 By Francess Sykes LADY Isabella Hervey is encouraging the nation to dust off their trainers to travel the circumference of the earth in a bid to raise funds for sports clubs for blind children. The Celebrity Love Island personality and fitness guru will lend her support to the event which will see people from all walks of life collectively complete the circumference of the earth, 24,901.55 miles. The event runs on two separate levels: the Team Challenge and Miles4fun. The national team competition is an extreme physical challenge for teams of four people with an eight hour time limit to complete as many miles as possible on cardiovascular gym equipment. Teams will need to keep their equipment in action for the full eight hours and will be competing against other teams across the country. Miles4Fun is set in the grounds of a selection of Hilton hotels along a one mile route that starts and finishes at the hotel. Individuals are asked to set themselves the challenge of completing the route as many times as possible within a two hour time frame in whatever manner they wish. Action for Blind People will receive 50 per cent of the net profit from the event and this will go towards Action’s 24 Actionnaires sports clubs for blind and partially sighted children. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-08-17 09:41:51 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-08 Exclusive By Francess Sykes OLYMPIC gold medalist Darren Campbell has slammed local authorities for selling off children’s play areas to property developers. In less than ten years, councils across the UK have sold off 183 playing fields – but government rules say that cash made from the sale has to go back into school sport. But Darren Campbell says it’s not enough. He added: “Let’s forget about the good old days because thousands of school playing fields and parks where all the kids have gone and played, are being sold and houses built on them. Now the children are on their laptops, PSPs and watching too much telly. We’ve got to find a way of bringing them back and getting them interested in sport again.” Darren says because of the lack of outdoor facilities and the increasing numbers of children hooked on computer games that other alternatives need to be provided to keep kids fit. The former 100m sprinter has recently become the ambassador for GymKids, specialist in fitness equipment for kids. He said: “People have criticised this equipment saying that it will stop children going outside to play but kids are already not going outside to play. If they are indoors anyway let’s try to get them using exercise equipment.” Darren took the decision to back GymKids after getting the opinion of his two sons. Darren said: “I let my kids be the judge, I don’t think you should be pushing something if you don’t believe in it. Them going on it was the test. It worked for them and hopefully it will work for other kids.” Just last month, Future Fitness reported on a ‘super school’ in Peterbrough to be built without a playground. Experts branded the decision ‘inhuman’ but the school’s headmaster defended the move insisting playtime is an inefficient use of time. He said: “The world of employment, further education and training is not characterised by running around in a playground to let off steam.” Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-08-17 09:41:44 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-06 By Francess Sykes KIDS TV presenter and former Pop Idol Mark Rhodes aims to get a million children to get fit through hip hop dancing. The ‘Do Something Different’ scheme has been formed to promote healthier lifestyles and is part of Mark and sidekick Sam Nixon’s goal to get one million kids to try something new before the end of the summer. It comes after Mark was entered into the UK Hip Hop Crew Championships and had two weeks to train as a freestyler for the show. The BBC teamed up with iDance to enter Mark into the the iDance championships. Chairman of iDance Foundation Omar Paloma said: “I loved the idea. This project was right up our alley. “It’s great because it works on two levels, first kids’ natural curiosity is sparked by the challenge and second the basic suggestion is to do healthy fun things.” Omar told Future Fitness that the programme has come at the right time because physical fitness and physical education seem to be taking a back seat in many kids’ lives. He said: “Many schools are failing to provide adequate PE, one London school is being rebuilt without playgrounds or play areas. “The ultimate goal and implicit suggestion of this programme is to make healthier choices while facing up to a new and exciting challenge.” Co-director of iDance Julie Paloma added hip hop dance appeals to more than traditional ballet or disco. She added: “Anyone of any shape or size can get involved. The UK Hip Hop Championships are about opportunity and reaching people outside of the mainstream. We also want to encourage people in the mainstream to ‘do something different’.” Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-06-13 16:35:35 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-06 By Francess Sykes A STUDY into the effects of dance on the health of the nation's children has revealed it can increase the fitness level of girls dramatically. The NRG Youth Dance and Health Project assessed the effects of a ten-week creative dance programme on the health and fitness characteristics of school children aged 11-14. The project was undertaken on 348 young people in seven schools across seven local authority and unitary districts. A spokesman for Laban's who undertook the study said: "We now have the scientific proof that creative dance makes you fitter. "Particularly pleasing is the dramatic increase found in female fitness, as this is the age group for which females are known to reduce their level of physical activity." The results revealed that average armstring flexibility scores rose from 10.5 cm to 11 cm in males and from 15.5 cm to 17.2 cm in females. The number of shuttle runs for the males rose from 27 to 28 and the females from 15.5 to 22.5. The spokesman added: "This is possibly due to their initial lack of fitness and overall greater motivation, in comparison to males. "Studies have shown that those who are involved in activity in their youth will carry that involvement through to adulthood, thus reducing risks of heart disease and other health related problems." Culture Minister David Lammy said: "Dance is too often the forgotten artform in the UKís cultural life. "And yet it can play an important role in developing the physical wellbeing and creativity of young people. "The publication, backed by the research, is a step in the right direction to put Dance on the map." Public Health Minister Caroline Flint added: "Dance has a great deal to offer to young people, irrespective of ability and background. "Dance can take many forms and embody elements of fun, creativity and performance that make it an attractive route to a fitter and healthier lifestyle. This research highlights how well people's health can benefit from dance." Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-06-13 16:25:54 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-06 By Francess Sykes OLYMPIC gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes officially opened a state-of-the-art sports facility, ranked one of the best in UK, at a school in Manchester. The £3.7million sports complex at Manchester High School for Girls boasts a fully-equipped fitness suite with 16 aerobic machines and 12 weight stations. Its sports hall is the size of four badminton courts and can accommodate most indoor sports. It also contains a floor-to-ceiling climbing wall, a spectators’ gallery, air-conditioned dance studio with electric windows and full-length mirrors. The school’s headmistress Mrs Christine Jones said: “We spent many hours working on the design specifications with the architects but even I never imagined the final building would be so fantastic. “Our expectations have been exceeded and I am thrilled that our girls have such high quality sporting facilities. “It has taken years of planning and months of construction to get to this stage, and the school is indebted for the time and generosity of so many people, but we now have facilities worthy of future Olympians.” Head of PE, Sarah Newman, added: “Physical education plays a crucial role in the school’s curriculum as it not only teaches our girls about teamwork and communication, but it also instills virtues of tolerance, honesty and courtesy.” After cutting the ribbon to the new building, Dame Kelly changed into her sportswear to lead a training session for the school’s elite sporting stars, many of whom are aspiring Olympians. Dame Kelly said: “Sport has always been a huge part of my life from when I was very young and it can help with confidence and self-esteem and so many other skills you need when you leave school and go into the wider world. “I initially tried a number of sports such as martial arts, volleyball and horse riding – I even joined a majorette troupe but gave that up because I didn’t like the uniform – but it was my PE teacher who encouraged me to try athletics. “My message to the girls would be to never have self-doubt. “There are so many great opportunities and a huge range of sports to try at this school they just give it a go.” Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-06-13 14:10:06 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-06 By Francess Sykes THE impact of exercise on body fat differs for boys and girls, research has revealed. Researches at Trinity College, Dublin on behalf of the British Journal of Sports Medicine investigated the relationship between the intensity of physical activity, inactivity, cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition in 7-10-year-old Dublin children. Researcher Juleitte Hussey said: "Recommendations on exercise to curb the rising tide of obesity in children have tended to take a unisex approach. "But from this and a number of previous studies it could be suggested that boys need to perform higher amounts of daily physical activity for healthy body composition." Of the children studied one in five was overweight, and six per cent were obese and more boys than girls were obese. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured in all the children, using a validated running test, and the amount of exercise taken over a period of four days assessed in 152. Boys exercised hard twice as often as girls. On average, they spent more than an hour a day, exercising vigorously. Girls spent just over half an hour a day. Overall, all the children who scored well on measures of cardiorespiratory fitness were significantly leaner and had smaller waists than those whose fitness levels were poor. Boys tended to be more physically fit than the girls. But the amount of hard exercise taken regularly had a direct impact only on the boysí weight. Unlike the girls, those boys who did the least hard exercise were the fattest. And those who led a predominantly sedentary lifestyle had the thickest waists. The authors suggest that the current measure of body mass index (BMI) may be inadequate, by itself, to determine the extent of cardiovascular risk in children and adolescents. Juliette said: "Generally the recommendations for physical activity are the same for both genders - at least 60 minutes and up to several hours per day of at least moderate intensity physical activity. This lower cut of 60 minutes of moderate intensity activity may be too low and in this study boys of normal weight were spending almost two hours per day in at least moderate intensity activity and girls of normal weight were spending at least 1.5 hours of such a level. "At this stage we cannot say specifically what they should be doing but would believe that an accumulation of physical activity lasting between 1.5 to two hours per day in girls and at two to 2.5 hours per day in boys would be beneficial." Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-06-01 10:24:28 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-06 EXCLUSIVE By Francess Sykes FOOTBALL legend Ian Wright is calling on the government to give teachers a bonus for taking after school fitness sessions. The former England and Arsenal star has joined a campaign to increase childrenís participation in PE - a project which has attracted one million school children to sign up since its launch in February. But, he says, the Government need to act now to prevent the obesity epidemic getting out of hand by asking inspectors to mark schools on the quality of their PE offering and give teacherís bonuses to do extra out of school sessions. In an exclusive interview with Future Fitness, he said: "My ideal goal is to get PE into the league tables so that schools can be judged on the PE of the school as well as English and Maths. "If we can get PE put into the league tables that will make the schools have to put more emphasis on it. "I don't think people realise how important childhood obesity is. The government will leave childhood obesity until we're not going to be able to catch it, and it will run away with everyone. "They have so many different things going on that they don't know what their left hand is doing from their right. We are not getting the backing from them but they will have to come on board at some stage. What we are doing is a success - all we have to do is keep doing it." Ian added that extra investments into school sporting facilities would save the Government millions in the future - as it would cut NHS spending to deal with illnesses related to obesity. He is supporting the Fit for Sport and Next Generation Fitter Schools UK challenge and the winning school will get a £45,000 bonus from Life Fitness which includes equipment and tuition. Ian is in talks with TV companies for a second series of 'Ian Wright's Unfit Kids' and admitted he resorted to bribery to get his last kids through the training programme. He added: "I would do anything to make them do it - if they wanted trainers, they got them. Giving incentives can only be a good thing." Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-06-01 10:24:23 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-06 By Francess Sykes YORKSHIRE Forward is investing £6.62 million in the regeneration of Central Park in Scunthorpe which will include the development of a high quality sports academy. The sports academy will become a centre of excellence for sports and recreation, and a hub for the development and delivery of sports, education and leadership training for North Lincolnshire. Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, Cllr Liz Redfern, said: "I am delighted with Yorkshire Forwardís decision to award up to £6.62 million towards the project. "This decision is a massive boost for Scunthorpe and the whole of North Lincolnshire as well as being a massive boost for our young people. "Never before have we had such a grand-scale leisure complex fit for the 21st Century. Together with the improvements to Central Park, this is a huge project where people will see a real difference." A winning design for the sports academy and Central Park was chosen as part of a competition which involved consultation with Scunthorpe Town Team, Yorkshire Forward, North Lincolnshire Council and the public. The design will consist of six pods to be covered in heather and grass and it is thought to be the first time this type of construction will be used for a major leisure project in this country. The pods will hold an eight lane, 25 metre swimming pool, a learner pool, a six court sports hall, a 75 station fitness suite, dance studio and crËche. The design consultants, Andrew Wright Associates, will now develop a more detailed design to submit for planning permission in Spring 2007. Jim Pearson, chair of the Scunthorpe Town Team, added: "The Scunthorpe Town Team has worked with Yorkshire Forward and the Council over the past four years to develop a framework to transform the town over the next 20 years. "I am looking forward to seeing the Academy develop. These facilities will provide wonderful opportunities for both the children of Scunthorpe and will leave a legacy for future generations." Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-06-01 10:24:18 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-04 A HIGH-tech gym exclusively for children has been launched in Bath to encourage youngster to get active following the UK's growing obesity epidemic. The gym, known as "Active Zone", gives young people aged from eight to 15 opportunities to try alternative workouts in a stimulating and supervised environment. Aquaterra's Leisure's Contract Manager, Tim Ridley, said: "The main goal of Active Zone is to encourage youngsters to enjoy an active lifestyle while taking part in fun activities. "It will help them to pick up good habits from an early age and also offers a new way to get active for those young people who arenít interested in traditional team sports such as football." The focus is on fun, with high-tech equipment, funky pop music, and enthusiastic instructors on hand to encourage youngsters to get active. Facilities offered include dance mats with interactive screens, X Box games that are operated by body movements, and an interactive 'sports wall' which children use by throwing balls or using other equipment to activate flashing lights. Active Lifestyles Manager, Lynda Dean, said: "The magic of the gym is that they will be so involved in interactive games and busy having fun that they wonít realise they are exercising." Other facilities include specially adapted weights, treadmills, and exercise bikes for youg people. Junior classes in spinning, aerobics, yoga, Pilates, Kung Fu, street dancing, golf and circuit training are also available. Over £100,000 has been invested in this project by Aquaterra Leisure including a contribution of £20,000 from the Council. It is expected that the scheme could be used as a model for facilities to be developed in other UK sports centres managed by Aquaterra Leisure. Coun Paul Crossley said: "Good habits should start at a young age and the Active Zone will help youngsters to have fun while improving their fitness levels, building confidence and making new friends." Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-04-26 09:06:39 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-04 TEN more specialist sports schools and colleges will be created in England during 2007, the Prime Minister has announced. Tony Blair told delegates, including Olympic Gold medal winner Kelly Holmes at the Sports Colleges conference that school sport was a "hidden success story". He said: "The first colleges will soon be celebrating their 10th birthday, and have helped transform the landscape of physical education." According to the prime minister the percentage of pupils at Sports Colleges who got five or more good GCSE passes has gone up from 49.0 per cent to 54.2 per cent in the last two years. This means that Sports Colleges are now the fastest improving schools, academically, of all specialist schools. Blair said: "We inherited a sense of pervading gloom with lots of people saying it can't be done. "This was lifted by a combination of investment, much needed and indispensable, and reform, to create new types of institution that released the drive and creativity of staff." "Ten years ago there was hardly any direct investment in school sport. Since then, over £1.5 billion of government and Lottery funding has been invested in school sport. With more to come. "80 per cent of pupils are now doing at least two hours of PE and sport in a typical week. That's up nearly 30 per cent from 2003/04. We set ourselves a target of 75 per cent and exceeded it by five percentage points." The government is planning changes to PE lessons to help children avoid the problems of obesity. Lessons will combine physical activity with learning how exercise affects fitness and health, and give schools more flexibility to run the physical activities that best meet pupils' needs. Blair said: "By 2008 85 per cent of children are set to do at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport in a typical week. By 2010 we want all children to be offered at least four hours of sport every week." Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-04-26 09:03:20 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-04 A SCHOOL in Wansbeck, Northumberland has been recognised with a national award for getting youngsters active through a range of sports and activities. Windsor First School has been awarded The Activemark Award by the Department for Education and Skills for exceptional delivery of the National School Sport Strategy. At least 90 per cent of pupils at the school take part in two hours of PE and Sport each week and a fun sports day. Headteacher Anne Carter said: "We're really pleased to be awarded the Activemark 2006 because it recognises what the staff already know: that access to regular sport has enormous benefits for our pupils. At Windsor we know the benefits of sport to our pupils. With regular exercise they get healthy, have fun and learn life skills such as the importance of teamwork." The school is one of only about 3,500 primary schools to be awarded the accolade nationally. Pupils have a range of sports and after school clubs to choose from including dance, football, netball, multi-skills and even archery. Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-04-26 09:00:47 http://www.futurefitness.uk.net/?page=news&monthyear=2007-04 GRASSROOTS sport could become the victim of an Olympic overspend, an industry body has warned. The Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR), fears that spending cuts could threaten the potential for community sport to deliver the next generation of elite athletes, as well as undermine sports clubs' ability to meet the growing demands of the Government's health agenda. CCPR chief executive, Tim Lamb, said: "I am concerned that, as costs rise, the commitment to using the Games to get more people involved in sport and recreation will be forgotten. "Community clubs have to operate to strict budgets or they go bust - the Government needs to show that same discipline with their Olympic costings, otherwise it is community sport which will lose out. "The Government needs to get its Olympic sums spot on. The idea that cost over-runs are inevitable is not something that private sector enterprises would accept and it's not something that sports clubs will accept either." CCPR is leading a campaign on behalf of its members to ensure that funding for grassroots sports is not affected from government overspend on the Olympic and Paralympic games. Tim said: "It simply won't be acceptable if, for example, four years down the line funding to grassroots sport is halved and the promise to get more people involved in sport is quietly swept under the carpet. "Tough decisions will have to be made about what is funded and what isn't and one of the things that cash must be found for in the run-up to the Games is grassroots sport. "The debate around the cost of the Olympics is important, but it's only useful if the Government has identified what it really wants from the Games. "If its focus is on regeneration of the East End, rather than getting people active, then it should come clean and say so. But if it's healthier people and regeneration, we need a strategy and investment for both. They won't just happen automatically." Future Fitness - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2007-04-26 08:58:21