It is becoming ever more apparent that the importance of taking part in Physical Activity has a strong and positive impact on our mental health and emotional wellbeing. At the Youth Sport Trust we are working hard to build a brighter future for young people through high quality physical education (PE), sport and physical activity.

We want to enthuse people to participate in all forms of physical activity from a young age in the hope of instilling a love that will remain for life; but there is no hiding from the fact that we are up against it. Research shows that young people are moving less and leading more sedentary lives. With declining physical activity comes lower emotional wellbeing and young people of this generation are at risk of not achieving their potential in life.

This is the stark and grim reality in which we find ourselves.

Throughout our 20 year history, we have worked alongside governments, stakeholders, schools, corporate partners such as Technogym, and young people to ensure we can make a difference. Without this support and commitment to our mission, we would not have had the impact we have. Together we can work to help the young people of today thrive in the future. .

The Youth Sport Trust advocates that good health supports successful learning and can impact on attendance, attitude and behaviour for learning. PE, school sport and physical activity is proven to enhance physical health, boost mental wellbeing, build resilience, lift academic achievement and create active habits for life.

We are convinced that physical education, sport and physical activity, when delivered in a high quality and meaningful way, help develop creativity, aspirations, resilience and empathy – essential character traits for success in school, community life and employment.

The Youth Sport Trust is working in a number of ways to address this need. For example:

• In Northamptonshire we are working with public health and education partners to ensure young people’s mental wellbeing is being addressed using PE, sport and physical activity as a part of a whole school strategy entitled 2020Health.
• Through Youth Sport Trust Girls Active, we are providing cutting edge opportunities for girls to lead and inspire their peers to be physically active in order to have a positive impact on their body image and health.
• We are piloting Wellbeing Champions in schools who work with and through the PE Department to use physical activity to help prevent emotional unwellness, identify early signs and support coping strategies.
• Supporting young people to build coping strategies which reduce the stress and anxiety associated with exams through our innovative Get to the Start Line programme.
• Continuing to develop Sky Sports Living for Sport and the Youth Sport Trust Changing Lives Athlete Mentors as a way of engaging the difficult to reach, changing challenging behaviour in young people and supporting those that are vulnerable.
• Training teachers in My Personal Best, which allows a PE teaching team to reflect upon, challenge and refresh their own practice to focus on building young people’s life skills, employability and wellbeing.
• Encouraging more young people to lead healthy lifestyles through the Change4Life programme, which has got over 250,000 primary students active since 2011.

We constantly strive to find new ways to support young people. Head Teachers are telling us that the declining physical and emotional health of young people is currently the biggest barrier to achievement and in response we are incredibly passionate about not only highlighting the importance of physical activity but providing support to encourage more young people to be active. In turn this will help develop citizens that are ready to perform, fit for work and healthy for life.

As a Partner of the Youth Sport Trust Business Honours Club, Technogym shares our vision and values, believing that by providing excellent products and services, they can create opportunities for high quality PE, school sport and physical activity for young people.