One aspect of the project is ‘Let’s get moving’ - we wanted to improve the health of the young people in the area, working with local primary schools, we went to a head teacher’s forum to discuss the idea of ‘Run a Mile’.
All of the head teachers liked the idea and could see the benefits, but due to some estates issues not all of them could see how running a mile would be practical for every child in their school every day.
So, we created a larger banner in ‘let’s get moving’, so those who wanted to ‘run a mile’ could embrace that idea, but others could do an equivalent form of exercise.
So far we have 3 schools who have every child from 4-11 running a mile a day and 3 schools doing an equivalent form of exercise.
We are also just about to launch ‘run a mile’ in the largest primary school in one of the most deprived wards in Morecambe and also with a school in a deprived estate in Lancaster.
Within the next few weeks we should have over 1500 4-11 year olds running a mile a day or doing something equivalent.
We are measuring the effect on obesity, wellbeing, sleep patterns, behaviour and academic outcomes vs predicted in each of the children.
This project is being underpinned with research from the University of Lancaster.
By September, we hope all the schools in Garstang will also have taken this on, and we hope to see a domino effect around the Bay.
We are already seeing staggering results with several thank you letters from parents. We have also had reports from teachers that the children’s concentration levels have improved.