Press Release: MPs across the UK run The Daily Mile in their constituencies

MPs ACROSS THE UK RUN THE DAILY MILE IN THEIR CONSTITUENCIES

  • Members of Parliament across all UK countries will run The Daily Mile in the MP Daily Mile Initiative from 7th to 9th November, as part of the strategy to encourage more schools to sign up to the ground-breaking children’s health and well-being initiative.
  • Eleven cross-party MPs will bring The Daily Mile home to their own constituencies by each joining a primary school to run their own Daily Mile.
  • The MP Daily Mile Initiative is being launched following strong support from across Westminster and across all major political parties.
  • Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, has pledged his support to the MP Daily Mile Initiative.

MPs across all UK countries are running The Daily Mile as part of a nationwide campaign to raise awareness across the UK to get more schools adopting the health and well-being initiative.

Eleven cross party MPs will run The Daily Mile in their constituencies. Other MPs have pledged their support to the nationwide initiative which aims to encourage more schools to sign up to ensure all children have the chance to be “Fit For Life”.

The Daily Mile is now in over 6,500 schools, participating across 55 countries. Now, The Daily Mile wants every child in the UK to have the opportunity to participate in their primary school.

Elaine Wyllie, Founder of The Daily Mile says:Since I started this initiative just six years ago, we have seen grassroots support for The Daily Mile grow from day to day. Children get it, parents get it, and the teachers get it. This is a campaign that the British people are already getting behind, up and down the country.

Having the MPs’ endorsement would be a simple yet major step forward in improving children’s health and well-being across the United Kingdom. Unless we tackle this obesity crisis, today’s obese children will become tomorrow’s obese adults whose years of healthy life will be shortened by a whole host of health problems including diabetes, cancer and heart disease. The Daily Mile is ensuring our children’s future health and in the long run, we believe, will reduce the pressure on vital NHS services.

The MPs’ campaign is launched off the back of a successful advertising campaign on ITV and in cinemas. With the support of INEOS, The Daily Mile has experienced its highest period of growth ever in recent weeks, but we still have a majority of primary schools that could benefit from adopting this free, simple yet effective initiative.

New research from the Universities of Stirling, Edinburgh and the Highlands and Islands identified that The Daily Mile initiative has enjoyed worldwide success thanks to its simplicity, flexibility and adaptability for teachers. These findings come just months after research led by the same team confirmed that The Daily Mile – which involves children taking a 15-minute break from class to do physical activity – improves fitness reduces sedentary behaviour, and improves body composition in participants.

 ENDS.

 

To read about all MPs involved in our MP Daily Mile Initiative, click the button below.

List of MPs involved

Founder of The Daily Mile, Elaine Wyllie, visiting No. 10 Downing Street

 

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