Half of children in Hertfordshire are not active enough

In the recently published results of the Active Lives Children & Young People (CYP) Physical Activity Survey (November 2022-23), Sport England report 47% of children in England are meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ (CMO) guidelines of taking part in an average of 60 minutes or more of sport and physical activity a day.

 

The 2022-23 findings reinforce participation in sport and physical activity varies greatly across England. Significant inequalities remain in activity levels, with children from lower affluent families (44%), still less likely to play sport or be physically active than the average across all ethnicities and affluence groups. Girls are also less likely to be active than boys. 

 

Nick Pontefract, Sport England Chief Strategy Officer highlights that: 

“This report demonstrates lots of positives. We have seen the continued importance of informal play, significant increases in children and young people playing football and continued growth in active travel, with more children walking to school than at any point since this survey began.” 

 

Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership (HSP), commissioned insight specialists Press Red to further analyse the Active Lives CYP data for Hertfordshire. 

 

Although overall activity levels have improved, half of children in Hertfordshire (49.2%) ​are not active enough – they do not achieve on average of 60 minutes or more a day of physical activity. That’s around 97,500 ​children and young people in Hertfordshire not meeting recommended activity levels​ as recommended by the CMO.  

 

Other key findings include: 

• Girls' activity levels have risen overall, narrowing the inequality gap ​with boys 

• Children and young people from our least affluent families are least likely to be active​ 

• Activity levels are lowest for Black and Asian children and young people​ 

 

Thank you to Hertfordshire schools, children, parents and teachers who took the time to complete the survey. HSP will continue to work collectively with partners in communities across Hertfordshire with the aim of shifting the dial on young people’s participation in sport and physical literacy. 

 

Further information can be found in the full Sport England Active Lives report or in the Press Red Analysis - Active Lives CYP Hertfordshire 2022-23.

 

If you would like to find out more, please contact Orla Moore, Evaluation & Insight Lead at HSP, o.moore4@herts.ac.uk