Sainsbury\u2019s has partnered with ukactive to pilot a new school holiday club for children in order to combat rising levels of physical inactivity over the summer.<\/p>\n
The trial will see schools across England and Wales host \u2018Active Kids holiday clubs\u2019 to help children aged between five and 15 to stay active and healthy over the summer break.<\/p>\n
Research from the ukactive Research Institute shows that British schoolchildren are losing up to 80 per cent of their fitness levels gained during term time through inactive summer holidays. Many children are left slumped on the sofa in front of screens, putting them at much higher risk of deadly diseases such as heart disease, cancer and type-II diabetes in later life.<\/p>\n
The Active Kids holiday clubs will offer children a range of activities tailored by age group, including sports, games and performing arts classes. They will also provide children with a nutritious lunch and healthy snacks.<\/p>\n
The holiday clubs pilot follows ukactive\u2019s policy call for investment by Government to ensure more children have access to physical activity services over the holidays. A key recommendation is to unlock existing community assets \u2013 with 39% of sports facilities in England located behind school gates.<\/p>\n
The clubs will be hosted by Premier, a ukactive Kids Code of Practice-approved children\u2019s activity provider, ensuring the high-quality delivery of a structured, full-day programme in a safe environment. Premier will provide action-packed programmes that are delivered by fully accredited children\u2019s activity professionals, supported by Sports Leaders UK trained and accredited young leaders from the local community.<\/p>\n
Parents and carers will also be provided with a support pack which offers advice on ways to continue the good habits learned during the week, including simple healthy recipes and fun physical activities to try at home.<\/p>\n
The pilot will be used to understand levels of engagement from children and parents, as well as the impact on children\u2019s physical, social and mental wellbeing. The findings will inform the development of clubs and programmes in the future, helping to identify scalability opportunities to reach more schools nationwide.<\/p>\n
The clubs will take place across 24 schools throughout the summer holiday, from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. From today, Sainsbury\u2019s customers can redeem 200 Nectar points to receive a code to access the booking hub. Spaces at a holiday club can then be booked for \u00a37.50 per child, per day, which includes a healthy lunch and snacks. A booking code allows customers to book spaces for up to five children and each child can join a club for up to five days.<\/p>\n