This is a speech delivered in the House of Lords last week by Lord Gardiner of Kimble that I thought would be of interest.
Debate on the role of sport in the health and wellbeing of children and young people
House of Lords
Thursday 9 December 2010
My Lords, may I thank the noble Lord, Lord Pendry for initiating this debate.
We all recognise the great number of benefits that sport provides children and young people, and let us not forget those who are somewhat older too. Participating in sport not only gives young people the opportunity to expend the abundance of energy they have, but it also plays a major role in developing key skills needed for future life. Learning how to be part of a team, self-discipline, how to experience winning and losing, dealing with challenges and setting goals are just some of the many skills acquired through participating in sport.
I welcome the Government’s proposals that there should be an emphasis on competitive sports within schools. I also agree that school leaders should be trusted to make decisions about sports education themselves and as the Secretary of State has said, with giving schools this new freedom he expects every school will want to maintain, as a minimum, the current levels of provision for PE and sport each week for every pupil.
With these new freedoms, school leaders can use sport as a principal way to get children and young people outdoors, which can have a role in improving children’s physical, mental and behavioural health. An increasing body of research confirms this. My Lords, we have one of the finest outdoor environments in the world, and families, community groups and schools can capitalise on the thousands of acres of publicly available land that we have in this country for outdoor sport. Sport in the countryside, such as walking, cycling, fishing and riding can burn up to 380 calories per hour, which I’m told is very impressive.
There are many outdoor sport projects, which provide the benefits I have just outlined, but I would like to draw your Lordships’ attention to ‘Fishing for Schools’, an outdoor educational sport programme about which I have some knowledge. Fishing for Schools is a project run by The Countryside Alliance Foundation, a charity set up in late 2007. It is appropriate that I should therefore declare an indirect interest as a board member of the Countryside Alliance. The aim of Fishing for Schools is to teach children the skills of fishing and in doing so explore and enjoy other areas within the natural world. The project offers short courses for children, often with special educational needs between the ages of 14 and 16, which can also be adapted for other groups. Fishing for Schools not only gives young people the opportunity to fish and learn a sport for life, but it also helps teach them life skills that will serve them well in later years.
The programme is taught by Charles Jardine, one of country’s finest fishermen, and over the past year, more than 400 youngsters of varying abilities have benefited. Fishing for Schools has received wonderful feedback from teachers, students and people in the media, who have experienced the programme first-hand.
Robson Green, actor and presenter of Channel Five’s Extreme Fishing programme congratulated The Countryside Alliance Foundation because, as he put it, Fishing for Schools “really can make a difference”. Likewise a teacher noted that, after completing the Fishing for Schools course a pupil had improved in confidence, was more motivated in school and talks endlessly about what he learnt and the funny parts of the course. He had been suffering from bullying and was often in trouble with regards to behaviour in school, but since the course he has worked hard, been positive, behaves well and is a more mature and sensible young man. Wow what a difference.
However the best advocates for Fishing for Schools come from the children who participate. On one recent course an autistic child was so engaged by Charles Jardine’s demonstration that he talked to him about what he had experienced. This was the first time he had ever spoken to anyone outside his family. My Lords, such a successful outcome speaks for itself.
My Lords, often when we talk or think about the importance of sport, we focus on how major sports can be supported and how future sports stars and Olympians can be trained. This is of course very important not only for those participating but also for national morale. Taking part in a range of sporting activities, which enhance the lives of young people, increase their self-esteem and provide a sense of purpose, have an important role to play in a child’s development. We should do all we can to create a climate and opportunities in which regular participation in sports is encouraged and promoted.
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The Alliance’s education campaign
Outdoor Education - The countryside as a classroom forms a great platform for encouraging young people to learn what the countryside has to offer. The Alliance incentives, such as Hunting Newcomers Week, National Shooting Week, Fishing for Schools, Falconry for Schools, all stem from the Alliance’s desire to encourage young people to participate in outdoor sports and activities.
How fishing can help the young
SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.
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