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18.
September
2017.
Press Release Newham 6th Form College (NewVIc) given National Lottery funding
                                                                                                         

Press Release


Newham 6th Form College (NewVIc) given National Lottery funding by Sport England to help get students active

 

For immediate release on 21.09.17 (embargoed until then)

 

 

Newham 6th Form College (NewVIc) has been given £92,850 National Lottery funding from Sport England over the next 2 years to reduce the number of their students who are completing less than thirty minutes of activity each week.

Sport England’s new Strategy ‘Towards an Active Nation’ puts tackling inactivity at the heart of what they do.  As part of this initiative Sport England is investing £5 million into projects in colleges that will support their inactive students into regular activity.

Sport England research found:

·         Nearly 1/5 (roughly 138,000) college students are inactive i.e. do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week as per England’s Chief Medical Officer’s recommendations. Nearly 2/3 of the inactive group do nothing at all [i]

·         Students who go to college are more inactive than students who go to sixth form or university.[ii]

·         Being active can make a big difference to everyone’s health: 1 in 6 adults in the UK die as a result of being inactive. :]

 

The NewVIc project involves employment of a Get Active Officer, Disability Sport Activator and Transition Activator focusing on engaging 4 key target audiences:

·         Female students

·         Disabled students

·         Students on specific academic courses who are less likely to engage in physical activity

·         Students transitioning to College on the cusp of regular participation, and most likely to drop out of activity upon leaving school.

 

This new programme will include activities such as; Skate Boarding, Fencing, Self Defence, Swimming Lessons, Archery, Free Running, Health Club, Wellbeing Group, Roller Disco, Walking & Talking Club, Hula Fit & much, much more!

 

Beth Harris, Sports Academy Manager said:

 

“NewVIc has a history of providing exceptional opportunity for students in traditional competitive sports; however we still see that around 50% of students are not engaged in regular physical activity.  We’re really excited about this new programme and extremely grateful to the National Lottery for supporting the College, as we continue on our mission to ensure healthy body and healthy mind for all of our students.”

 

Around one in five college students are inactive and many come from groups that have lower socio-economic status or from ethnic groups that are less likely to be active. Colleges in the programme will target these groups specifically to reduce the activity gap between them and their student peers.

 

Mike Diaper, Executive Director of Community Sport said:

 

“We are delighted to offer NewVIc this National Lottery funding to help get students active. College is a crucial time in a young person’s development. It is often the first time that activity is not a compulsory part of their study programme and therefore all too many young people become inactive. This funding will allow colleges to be innovative in addressing the needs and desires of their students to help embed activity in their lifestyle in college and for years to come.”

 

About Sport England

Sport England is a public body and invests more than £300 million National Lottery and government money each year in projects and programmes that help people get active and play sport.

 

It wants everyone in England, regardless of age, background, or level of ability, to feel able to engage in sport and physical activity. That’s why a lot of its work is specifically focused on helping people who do no, or very little, physical activity and groups who are typically less active.

 

For further information on the national programme please contact: SportEnglandFE.Team@sportengland.org



[i] Sport England’s Active Lives survey (November 2015/2016) found that nearly 1/5 (18%) of 16-18 year old college students are inactive, and out of this inactive group, just under 2/3 (64%) do nothing at all.

There are currently 744,000 college students in England aged 16-18 according to the Association of Colleges 2016.

138,000 (18%) of them are currently inactive i.e. do less than 30 minutes of exercise a week. Of those who are inactive, 86,000 (64%) do nothing at all.

 

[ii] Sport England’s Active Lives survey (November 2015/2016) found that 13% of 16+ year olds in school sixth form were inactive. 12% of 16+ year olds in higher education were inactive and 20% of 16+ year olds in colleges are inactive.