Accrington Stanley Community Trust joins forces with Ferrero and the EFL Trust to get kids moving
Accrington Stanley Community Trust, Ferrero and the EFL Trust are today announcing a partnership to deliver a primary schools programme in Hyndburn that encourages children to take part in physical activity, while helping them to understand the importance of a balanced diet and an active lifestyle.
The +Sport Move and Learn Project is part of Ferrero’s global Kinder + Sport initiative designed to encourage active lifestyles in children across the world and has already reached 15 million children. Now in its third year, the programme has to date been delivered in 776 schools, with 43,577 children impacted. To build on this success, this year 616 schools and 37,000 children will be reached.
Public Health England state that the health of children and young people in Hyndburn is commonly worse than the England average and is affected by a higher number of adults within families across the district who smoke, binge drink and are affected by mental illness, or put quite simply; lack sound knowledge and information about how to live a healthy active lifestyle. Providing the move and learn programme to children across Hyndburn will offer huge benefits and help create more positive family environments.
Over the course of six weeks, children from year 5 classes spend 45 minutes in the classroom learning about the body, nutrition and the importance of exercise, through participating in interactive activities. The second half of the 90 minute session is dedicated to playing football, dodgeball or handball, with two weeks spent on each sport.
The first schools taking part this year are: Peel Park, St Nicholas’s, St James Haslingden, St Annes and St Josephs and St Johns Great Harwood.
Accrington Stanley First Team player Billy Kee, who is also the Trust’s Health Ambassador said “It’s vital that we educate children from a young age on a healthy diet and encourage an active lifestyle. The Kinder +Sport Move and Learn Project is a really fun and interactive project engaging thousands of children each year. I’m extremely proud to be able to support such an important programme”.
A spokesperson from Ferrero said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing the +Sport Move & Learn Project to Hyndburn. Since launching Kinder + Sport in the UK two years ago, we have moved over 100,000 children as a result. Active children are more likely to grow into active adults, so we are passionate about inspiring future generations in communities across the UK to get active and live well. The English Football League Trust is the perfect partner; football clubs are at the heart of their communities and engage and inspire people from all generations – and this is exactly what we want to do with Kinder + Sport in the UK.”
Mike Evans, Director of Operations at the EFL Trust said: “We’ve been working with Ferrero for three years now and seeing the programme go from strength to strength is incredible. The power of sport and the club badge allows our network of community trusts to deliver key messages, such as tackling obesity, to reach out to the wider community. This investment in helping to get future generations living well is invaluable and we look forward to continuing to work with Ferrero and our own network. It’s a pleasure to welcome Accrington Stanley Community Trust to the Kinder + Sport family.”
