ACTIVE LIFESTYLES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

That this House welcomes the work of the GO Run For Fun Foundation, which gets children aged between five and 10 years running and adopting a more active lifestyle across the UK; congratulates the Foundation for having 20,000 children participate since August 2013 and for being on track to get 100,000 children running by 2016; expresses deep concern that there is a physical inactivity crisis in the UK, with around half of all seven-year olds, and three-quarters of all 12-year olds, not achieving the minimum recommended amount of daily activity; notes the importance of an active lifestyle in reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease and in promoting self-esteem and psychological wellbeing; draws attention to a recent report from the All-Party Commission on Physical Activity which shows that inactivity causes more deaths than smoking and costs the UK economy £20 billion each year; further notes that GO Run For Fun is an inclusive, cost-effective and high-impact response to the inactivity crisis, which builds the foundation for future participation in physical activity and encourages lifestyle change; calls on the Government to endorse GO Run For Fun and provide financial support to extend the reach of the programme; and further calls on hon. Members and local government to help secure financial backing for GO Run For Fun events in their area and strengthen links with local schools and sports clubs to ensure the long-term impact of the programme.