National School Sport Week 2022
Children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust started the annual National School Sport Week campaign in 2008 and it has run every year since. National School Sport Week is run in association with European School Sports Day which takes place on 30 September 2022.
The YST equips educators and empowers young people with the vision of creating a future where every child enjoys the life-changing benefits of play and sport. Sport gives young people a platform to have their voice heard and a place to feel they belong. They harness this extraordinary power to change young lives today and help them build a brighter tomorrow.
They do this by running inclusive and innovative programmes, brining together communities of educators, and providing practical tools and resources.
And their work is evidently crucial to providing a better future to the younger generations; only 45% of young people are meeting the Chief Medical Officer guidelines of taking part in sport and physical activity for an average of 60 minutes or more every day (Sport England, 2021), while one in six children have a probable mental disorder (NHS Digital, 2020). You can find more damning statistics and proof of the importance of campaigns like NSSW on the YST website.
The theme for National School Sport Week 2022 – running from the 20th to the 26th of June – is ‘Belonging’, a campaign to ensure there is a place for every young person to belong in school sport. The Youth Sport Trust’s mission is to guarantee there is a role for every young person in a school sports day this summer.
School sport should be an important part of every child’s education and development – every child should feel they have a place to belong.
But for too many children this isn’t happening. They are left feeling alienated by sport, that it isn’t for them and they don’t have a place within it.
After the huge disruption of the past two years, the inequalities in young people’s health and activity levels have got worse.
There is so much that all young people can gain from school sport – connecting with others, developing important life skills and improving both their physical and mental health.
You can join the YST this National School Sport Week in their drive to make sure that, when it comes to school sport, there is a place for every child. You can visit the Youth Sport Trust website to learn how to pledge your support.
You can also engage with the campaign on socials with the hashtag #NSSW22 and tagging @YouthSportTrust!
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