Change4Life Sports Clubs

Change4Life Sports Clubs is an exciting programme that aims to harness the inspiration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to engage less-active* primary and secondary aged school children in physical activity and school sport.

Children deemed less-active do not undertake the recommended daily minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity, often because they face barriers ranging from social to physical. While these are national recommendations you can identify the less-active children in your school and help them to overcome these barriers and become part of a Change4Life Sports Club. After all, it's important to make physical activity a habit if we're to reduce the likelihood of obesity and related diseases due to inactivity.

Change4Life Sport Clubs take the principles and specific skills from a range of Olympic and Paralympic sports and place them in a fun, vibrant and exciting activity club giving young people the confidence and competence to take part in lifelong physical activity.

Primary clubs
Primary clubs capture the essence of the sport without directly delivering sport-specific content, and are grouped under five multi-sport themes:
•    Adventure
•    Creative
•    Combat
•    Flight
•    Target

Secondary clubs
Secondary clubs are sport-specific and are designed around a need to increase the opportunities for young people to participate in non-traditional sports and continue that from the school club to the community club. The National Governing Bodies of Sport involved are:
•    Badminton
•    Boccia
•    Fencing
•    Handball
•    Table tennis
•    Volleyball
•    Wheelchair basketball

To date, the Youth Sport Trust has developed a network of 8,500 school-based sports clubs in England and is looking to have 13,500 clubs set-up by 2015. Your school can be part of the programme simply by signing up by calling 01509 226600.

The clubs have been designed to give children the necessary skills and confidence to be able to take part in School Games opportunities and become comfortable with competing in their school or against other schools.

The clubs have been funded by the Department of Health in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust and you can access more information by going to www.nhs.uk/c4lsportsclubs

*Nationally, 'less-active' tends to refer to children who do not undertake the recommended daily minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity.