Read the statement from Chris Sharman, Group CEO and Founder, Topodium Group and Kidztivity, in response to the Labour Party’s education policy proposals:
“As an organisation dedicated to enriching the lives and opportunities presented to young people, we welcome the policy proposals outlined in Labour’s Opportunity Mission, to ensure broader sport and physical activity subjects are firmly embedded in the school curriculum at all stages of education.
It is well documented that sport and physical education have a tremendous impact on young people’s outcomes, both academically and personally. Active participation in sports and physical activity enhances physical and mental health, provides essential life skills such as teamwork, communication and leadership, to social interaction and character development, to enhanced concentration, problem-solving abilities, and overall academic achievement.
The current activity levels in children and young people are significantly lower than the minimum recommended by the Chief Medical Officer, and unfortunately there has been little achieved over the last decade to change this..
As a sector, the sports, health and leisure industries must unite and drive forward change to ensure the opportunities for every young person to experience the transformative power of physical activity, no matter their background. Access to meaningful sport and physical education must be universally available for all children, at all developmental stages. We are pleased that Labour has listened to the sector’s position, but it will take more than policy and reform to make a real difference.
As an industry we need to raise the profile of our sectors, provide clear growth and progression for those working within them, and not be afraid to take unconventional approaches to innovation. At the forefront of this should be the requirement to harness technology for good, and most crucially, listen to and involve our young people in the reforms needed to bring about safe, inclusive, affordable and accessible sport and physical activity.
All of us at Topodium Group are fully committed to this cause, and in particular our children activity training, programme development and consultancy business, Kidztivity, is leading the way in helping to professionalise the children’s activity and education sector.
We are working on a number of projects across the sector with other organisations who share our commitment to bettering opportunities for young people.
We are more than happy to have the conversations needed with other stakeholders who share our passion and are willing to put in the hard work. Together, we can work towards a future where every child has equal opportunities to succeed, to unlock their full potential, and where barriers to their progress are dismantled.”
