There’s a new initiative on the block that’s set to make waves in the world of family fitness. The Parkrun primary program aims to twin 500 schools across the UK with their local junior Parkrun events and we think it’s an amazing idea. Backed by figures like Joe Wicks and Team GB athletes, it’s designed to get more children moving and build a stronger sense of community.
This Parkrun primary, aims to tackle childhood inactivity by connecting schools with their local junior Parkrun events and Cardiff schools are being encouraged to get involved.
This program, which is backed by health experts and was launched in response to concerning statistics about children’s activity levels. Currently, less than half of children in the UK meet the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day and a recent study found that one in five don’t even play outside on the weekends.
The Parkrun primary initiative will see schools formally link with junior Parkrun events, which are free, 2k events for children aged 4 to 14, held every Sunday.
Participating schools will follow a five step program that includes special assemblies and connecting with their local event, before becoming an official Parkrun primary school. This partnership aims to make it easier for children to get involved with the fun, community focused events, either by running, walking or volunteering.
The initiative has already been successfully piloted with 17,000 children across the UK, showing positive results. A survey of families who participated found that 77% of children felt happy after taking part and 85% of parents felt it had a positive impact on their child’s sense of personal achievement.
While the program is designed to get kids active, its benefits extend far beyond physical fitness. According to Elizabeth Duggan, Interim CEO of Parkrun, the goal is also to help children build confidence, develop social skills and feel a sense of belonging in their local community.
“By bringing schools together with their local junior Parkrun events, Parkrun primary will create more opportunities for children to be active, outdoors at the weekend in a free, fun and accessible way,” Duggan said.
“It’s about connecting children with their local community and giving them the chance to build real human relationships… that develop their confidence alongside vital social and emotional skills for later life in a world where that is increasingly difficult.”
The program is a follow up to the successful Parkrun practice initiative, which has seen over 2,000 GP surgeries partner with Parkrun events to socially prescribe physical activity to patients.
With junior Parkrun events already well established in and around Cardiff, this new initiative offers a great opportunity for schools across the city to make a real difference in the lives of their students.
Schools can now officially register to join the program, helping to create healthier, happier lives for children and encouraging them to build positive habits that can last a lifetime.
Find out more about Parkrun primary at juniorparkrun.com and http://parkrun.me/primary. Primary schools can register for Parkrun primary at http://parkrun.me/jpreg.
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