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children, healthy growth and healthy weight; promoting healthier food choices; building physical activity into our lives; creating incentives for better health; and personalised advice and support.

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A new app to help people make positive changes to their diet and physical activity will launch this year. People would wear wrist band like devices that can generate personalised health recommendations, such as increasing their step count, eating more fruit and vegetables and decreasing portion size. Users will collect points for these healthy behaviours which will unlock rewards, which could include gym passes, clothes or food vouchers and discounts for shops, cinema or theme park tickets.

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Immediate Benefits.

Weight Management.

Reduce Your Health Risk.

Strengthen Your Bones and Muscles.

Improve Your Ability to do Daily Activities and Prevent Falls.

Increase Your Chances of Living Longer.

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Insufficient time to exercise.

Inconvenience of exercise.

Lack of self-motivation.

Non-enjoyment of exercise.

Boredom with exercise.

Lack of confidence in their ability to be physically active

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Launched in January 2009, Change4Life focuses on prevention and aims to change the behaviours and circumstances that lead to weight gain, rather than being a weight-loss programme for the already obese. In its first year, Change4Life focused on families, particularly those with children under 11.

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https://www.youthsporttrust.org/join-us/national-school-sport-week

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For National School Sport Week 2022 we're campaigning to ensure there is a place for every young person to belong in school sport.

Join us in our mission to guarantee there is a role for every young person in a school sports day this summer.
Our theme for 2022: Belonging - a place in sport for every child
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.

Join us this National School Sport Week in our drive to make sure that, when it comes to school sport, there is a place for every child.

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For National School Sport Week 2022 we're campaigning to ensure there is a place for every young person to belong in school sport. Join us in our mission to guarantee there is a role for every young person in a school sports day this summer.

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Cons

Dangerous Drivers, Road Hazards.

Lack of Bike Lanes and Trails.

Accidents.

Inability to Carry Passengers.

Theft.

Snapped Chain.

Broken cleats or Pedals.

Aches and pains.

Weather – Ice and snow.

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https://www.harborhillsclub.com/blog/37-9-reasons-why-everyone-should-play-golf

https://environmental-conscience.com/playing-golf-pros-cons/

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https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-getting-every-adult-active-every-day/h
https://www.activeandhealthy.nsw.gov.au/

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A criticism of the campaign is that the dairy swaps suggested encourage consumers to buy foods that are lower in fat and also more processed. The change that raises the most eyebrows is the case with the swap of butter for low fat spreads.

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New pilot to help people eat better and exercise more

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Points awarded for increasing step count and eating more fruit and veg which can be redeemed for gym passes and discounts at selected shops

HeadUp Systems awarded contract to develop a new app with £3 million in government funding made available for rewards

A new app to help people make positive changes to their diet and physical activity will launch next year, the government has announced today.

From January 2022, a pilot will see users wear wrist-worn devices that can generate personalised health recommendations, such as increasing their step count, eating more fruit and vegetables and decreasing portion size.

Users will collect points for these healthy behaviours which will unlock rewards, which could include gym passes, clothes or food vouchers and discounts for shops, cinema or theme park tickets.

Following a competitive tender process, HeadUp has been chosen to deliver the new scheme, with £3 million also coming from the Department of Health and Social Care to provide incentives.

Evidence suggests that financial incentives can improve rates of physical activity and inspire healthier eating so HeadUp will work with a range of organisations to provide rewards such as vouchers, merchandise, discounts and gift cards.

The government is committed to helping people lead healthier, happier lives by making it easier for people to make healthy choices.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid said:

I want to ensure we're doing as much as we can to tackle health disparities across the country, and this new pilot will pave the way for developing innovative ways to improve the lives of individuals, and also help to reduce strain on the NHS.

The Office of Health Improvement and Disparities is driving forward our levelling up agenda for health and ensuring prevention is a vital part of everything we do.

This pilot is an excellent opportunity to find how best to inspire people to make small changes to their daily lives that will have a lasting positive impact on their health.

As part of our world-leading healthy weight strategy, the new scheme will be part of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities' (OHID) drive to use digital technology to improve physical health and prevent health conditions before they develop.

Obesity-related illnesses cost the NHS £6 billion a year and the scale of the challenge has been highlighted by COVID-19 disproportionately affecting people who are overweight. With almost two-thirds of adults in England living with excess weight or obesity the programme will focus on incentives and rewards for healthy behaviours, including increasing physical activity and eating better to support people to live healthier lives.

Public Health Minister Maggie Throup said:

We are committed to improving the health of people across the country.

The HeadUp app pilot will help us better understand how appropriate rewards can motivate people to make positive changes to their diet and physical activity, supporting them to lead healthier lives.

Internationally there are examples of innovative incentives programme showing promising results, such as Singapore's National Steps Challenge, and the government will work closely with international partners to understand what makes these schemes successful to inform best practices in England.

Sir Keith Mills, who has pioneered reward programmes through Airmiles and Nectar points, is advising the Health Incentives Scheme and will support the government in taking advantage of the very best innovation in the public and private sector.

The new app will place user privacy and security at its core and will ensure all personal information is safe and secure at all times.

Sir Keith Mills, Health Incentives Adviser, said:

This scheme is a fantastic opportunity to explore how government, business and the third sector can work together to deliver a new and engaging way of supporting the public to make healthier choices.

Through the pilot we will have exciting and innovative partners on board will help motivate people to want to earn incentives, but also should help them overcome barriers to making healthy decisions in future. I'm looking forward to see how this scheme develops.

David Parfitt, Strategy Director at HeadUp, said:

We're thrilled to be working with OHID to design and deliver a truly innovative initiative to support the future of population health in England.

As an evidence-based, data science company focused on people's health around the world, we are immensely proud to be working with the government and key stakeholders, people in the community, and with the Behavioural Insights Team as our design and evaluation partner, to play a part in piloting an exciting new approach to the urgent and important challenge of helping people engage with their health and improve their health behaviours.

The Health Incentives Scheme was announced as part of a £100 million package of government support to help those living with obesity to move closer towards a healthier weight and give them the tools they need to maintain this.

The pilot will launch in January 2022 and will run for 6 months in a defined location in England to be announced in due course.

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New pilot to help people eat better and exercise more

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Points awarded for increasing step count and eating more fruit and veg which can be redeemed for gym passes and discounts at selected shops HeadUp Systems awarded contract to develop a new app with £3 million in government funding made available for rewards A new app to help people make positive changes to their diet and physical activity will launch next year, the government has announced today.

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TBW (06.04.2022)

The benefits of walking or cycling to school

https://www.thebridgwaterway.co.uk/the-benefits-of-walking-or-cycling-to-school/#:~:text=Teaching%20them%20road%20safety%20and,so%20kids%20sleep%20better%20too.
Date accessed - 06.04.2022

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Statistics tell us that one in three children aren't getting the recommended amount of exercise each day - but how do we help our kids exercise more while keeping them safe? Teaching them road safety and encouraging them to walk or cycle to school is a great way to start.

Children who walk or cycle to school arrive feeling alert and ready to learn. Exercise builds strong muscles and bones, helps with concentration and burns off excess energy so kids sleep better too . It can also help children to feel happier and more confident, paving the way towards greater independence as they get older.

It's easy to get into a routine that includes getting dropped off at the school gates in mum or dad's car, but ideally children should feel it's just as normal to walk or cycle to school as it is to get there by car or public transport.
Make the change
The Bridgwater Way was created to help people make the switch from the car to h ealthier ways of getting around. M any of the routes are off-road, which is perfect if you're walking younger children to school. There are cycle routes mapped out, or you can enter your starting point and destination to see the best routes for your journey.

Build your children's confidence by accompanying them on their journey to begin with. If they're cycling, m ake sure their bike is safe and that they have lights and reflective clothing to ensure full visibility at all times.
Extra help
There's plenty of help available for schools and parents to encourage children to walk or cycle to school, with Bikeability training and cycle health checks available at most schools. You can find m ore information on our My Way to S chool or C ollege page.
Head to our map to start planning your route.

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The benefits of walking or cycling to school

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Statistics tell us that one in three children aren't getting the recommended amount of exercise each day - but how do we help our kids exercise more while keeping them safe? Teaching them road safety and encouraging them to walk or cycle to school is a great way to start.

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https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/campaigns/17-change4life/overview#:~:text=Change4Life%20aims%20to%20help%20families,associating%20it%20with%20healthy%20eating.

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Overview

Change4Life aims to help families lead healthier lives by eating well and moving more. Change4Life is now a trusted and recognised brand, with 97% of mothers with children aged 5-11 associating it with healthy eating.

Please find links to our Change4Life campaigns below:

Change4Life Schools resources:

The Change4Life School Zone online resource has been designed for primary teachers and provides curriculum-linked materials and inspiration to help them teach pupils about healthy eating and being active.

The School Zone features exciting lesson ideas, homework tasks and whole school activities for teachers to use with KS1 and KS2 pupils.

You can find the School Zone here: or by searching: www.nhs.uk/c4lschools
Change4Life/schools

Please use your communications channels with primary schools in your area to let them know about the School Zone. We have a selection of to make this easy for you. You could also spread the word by:

Putting a link to the School Zone on a teacher facing section of your website

Teachers can to the School Zone newsletter to keep up to date about new resources and campaigns.

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Change4Life aims to help families lead healthier lives by eating well and moving more. Change4Life is now a trusted and recognised brand, with 97% of mothers with children aged 5-11 associating it with healthy eating.

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Overall it is good for children to walk, get the train, cycle and scoot to school because it benefits children bones development

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Overall it is good for children to walk, get the train, cycle and scoot to school because it benefits children bones development

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Overview
National All Stars cricket is All Stars Cricket is the England and Wales Cricket Board's entry level participation programme, aimed at providing children aged five to eight with a great first experience in cricket. It also, helps being fun and being active and it focus on the children movement development. Family time with the children parents/carers are encouraged to join in.

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Reference-
Foundation Lancashire cricket. (2022)
https://foundation.lancashirecricket.co.uk/cricket-programmes/all-stars-cricket/#:~:text=All%20Stars%20Cricket%20is%20the,nationwide%20at%20over%202%2C000%20centres

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All Stars Cricket

Pre-register for 2020 All Stars Cricket programme to be the first to hear about new sessions when registration opens.

All Stars Cricket is the England and Wales Cricket Board's entry level participation programme, aimed at providing children aged five to eight with a great first experience in cricket.

Programme features:

For all boys and girls aged five to eight

Delivered nationwide at over 2,000 centres

Eight one-hour sessions, held over eight weeks

Emphasis on fun and being active

Focus on developing your child's movement skills

Safe and fully accredited

Valuable time with your kids - mums and dads are encouraged to take part too

Easy online registration

Includes a bonus pack of cricket kit

Every child that registers will receive a backpack full of goodies including a cricket bat, ball, activity book, personalised shirt and cap all sent straight to your door.

We will be back in 2020 for another summer of Big Moments! Pre-register below for next year, and we will contact you when registration opens.

For further information, please follow the ECB All Stars link - https://www.ecb.co.uk/play/all-stars

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Pre-register for 2020 All Stars Cricket programme to be the first to hear about new sessions when registration opens. All Stars Cricket is the England and Wales Cricket Board's entry level participation programme, aimed at providing children aged five to eight with a great first experience in cricket.

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Strength-
Helps gross motor skills
Cognitive Development
Family time
Learning new skills
Social development

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Benefits of walking

It promotes independence and freedom – children can make more decisions about their journey than they can in the car. They can choose to stop and look at something along the way and they can start to make decisions about road safety. For older children, walking independently offers some time to themselves

·
It’s fun and interesting – you get to notice things along the way and meet people in your neighborhood;

·  It’s sociable – children love walking with their friends, especially on the journey to school;

https://novakdjokovicfoundation.org/the-benefits-of-walking-for-children/#:~:text=It%20makes%20them%20feel%20good,they%20can%20in%20the%20car

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weaknesses -
Money
Marketing
Forward planning
Takes up a lot of time
little preparation

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The Legg Lance
(May 8, 2017)
https://beingoutsidecricket.com/2017/05/08/all-stars-cricket-why-is-it-failing/

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This is a guest post by Danny Frankland - and first appeared at http://www.dannycricket.wordpress.com. You can also contact him via Twitter @dafrankland

If the ECB wanted to attract new people to the sport with the All Stars Cricket programme, perhaps it shouldn't be more expensive than existing juniors cricket coaching or almost literally every other single thing a kid could be doing instead?

For those who might not be aware, the ECB recently launched a new initiative which aims to reverse the decline in youth participation in cricket. Named 'All Stars Cricket', the scheme is designed to get 5-8 year old boys and girls to "fun" coaching sessions at their local cricket clubs. The parents pay £40 to the ECB a few weeks before the sessions start, and in return they receive eight hour-long training sessions and a backpack containing a personalised cricket top, a water bottle, a hat, a cricket bat and a ball. The coaching is carefully designed by experts to be help children in their fitness and hand-eye coordination, as well as being entertaining. In addition, there are videos online featuring current men's and women's England players, and suggestions for cricket-based games the parents can play with their children in their back garden.

At the launch a mere 7 weeks ago, the ECB were suggesting that they were targeting approximately 50,000 boys and girls to take part. They had announced a collaboration with MumsNet, an influential parenting website, and promised a marketing campaign to extend All Stars Cricket's appeal beyond the children of existing cricket fans. 10,000 children who sign up before May 10th will also be randomly selected to meet and play with current England players at various events around the country.

Matt Dwyer, the Director of Participation & Growth at the ECB who is responsible for All Stars Cricket, was on Test Match Special on Sunday talking about it. The thing which immediately jumped out at me during the interview is that he said it's on course to have around 20,000 children participating this year. This is 40% of the ECB's own target, which begs the question: Why has it all gone wrong?

Cost And Value

The first thing that jumps out at me about All Stars Cricket is the cost. £40 upfront is not a small amount of money for a lot of people. Apart from excluding children with poor parents, it also represents a gamble even for cricket-loving middle-class parents. If they sign up their child only for the kid to hate it and refuse to go back, the parents will have paid £40 for the backpack and one hour of training.

And what do you get for £40? I'm pretty sure I've seen cricket bats with balls in one of my local pound shops, as well as water bottles and caps. The personalised shirt and backpack might be a little more expensive, but not much. I'd personally be amazed if the ECB was paying more than £4 for every child's full kit.

As for the coaching itself, £40 still seems a lot of money for 8 hours of junior cricket coaching. To take the example of my local cricket club, they offer a weekly 90-minute training session for under-11s for £2.50, plus an annual junior membership of £5. For the same money as All Stars Cricket, a child gets 21 hours of coaching. It's presumably by the same coaches, teaching the same skills and probably in quite similar ways. Perhaps it seems like better value in more expensive parts of the country, but it's hard to see All Stars Cricket as anything other than a rip off where I live.

An important thing to remember is that All Stars Cricket isn't just competing with existing cricket coaching, if parents have £40 to spend on making their child happy they have much better ways to spend it available to them. They could buy at least five or six new DVDs for them to watch, which is almost certain to offer more than 8 hours of entertainment. They could buy a new console game for around £40, again you'd expect more than 8 hours fun from that. They could buy 40 cheap crappy toys from their local pound shops, way more than 8 hours of fun there.

It might seem like an oversimplification but if the ECB wanted to attract new people to the sport with the All Stars Cricket programme, perhaps it shouldn't be more expensive than existing juniors cricket coaching or almost literally every other single thing a kid could be doing instead?

Forward Planning

The other obvious flaw I see in All Stars Cricket is that it requires forward planning by the parents. The whole training plan is based around the kit the kids will get in the backpack. Each one has to be personalised and then delivered, which obviously takes some time. If someone heard about their local cricket club's All Stars Cricket sessions the day before they started, they couldn't just drop their kid off on the day with £40. If a kid who has signed up enjoys it, nothing they can do could get their friends to join up until the next year. If a family has a holiday booked for one of the weeks, the child will miss out and potentially be left behind the other children taking part. And of course the parents will still be paying for the hour's training that the child misses.

All Stars Cricket, like most ECB-run schemes, suffers from rigidity and over-centralisation. If a new kid turned up at my local club's regular junior coaching session, they wouldn't be expected to pay anything up front. They'd almost certainly get one free trial session to meet everyone and see if they enjoyed it. They wouldn't need any of their own kit. Kids who forget to bring their weekly fees or pay their membership are still allowed to play, with a gentle reminder to bring them next week. With more than 8 hours of coaching every summer, if a child is away one week they won't miss out on specific skills they might need to play cricket at the same level as the rest.

I'm also a little curious what happens with a club's All Stars Cricket programme if some of it has to be cancelled due to rain. Can the club schedule an extra week, or do the kids lose out on some of the carefully selected activities due to lack of time? Again, and I hate to keep banging on about it, I doubt the parents get a refund either way.

Marketing

I don't have any children, so I suppose it's possible that the marketing is great and I'm just not seeing it. Obviously people who are already active with their local cricket clubs will almost certainly be aware of All Stars Cricket. I'd assume there are probably articles about it in many local newspapers, and some clubs will have managed to put up posters, handed out flyers, talked at school assemblies and so on. The usual kind of local unpaid outreach done largely by selfless volunteers.

I've not been able to find any evidence of the collaboration with MumsNet which was much heralded at the scheme's launch. The only things which show up when searching for "All Stars Cricket" on MumsNet.com are an invitation to the launch event in March and a handful of posts in localised forums. I honestly find it a bit embarrassing.

Beyond that, all I've seen are social media posts and articles by national cricket journalists. The thing about these is that they're only going to be seen by existing cricket fans. For a programme which many people had suggested could reach out to children without a cricket-loving parent, I'm not seeing any evidence of the ECB even trying.

Conclusion

In short: The ECB (which tries to solve everything with lots of money, mediocre marketing and no understanding of the general public) has tried to solve poor youth cricket participation with lots of money, mediocre marketing and no understanding of the general public. I'm honestly a little surprised even 20,000 kids will sign up.

As always at the ECB, despite creating a colossal failure no one will lose their job. It was probably all KP's fault. Or it was the public's fault for not understanding what a great deal the ECB were offering them. Clearly no one can be held responsible for this, or is so incompetent that they need to be replaced.

Feel free to insult me, or the ECB, in the comments below.

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This is a guest post by Danny Frankland - and first appeared at www.dannycricket.wordpress.com. You can also contact him via Twitter @dafrankland If the ECB wanted to attract new people to the sport with the All Stars Cricket programme, perhaps it shouldn't be more expensive than existing juniors cricket coaching or almost literally every other...