Keeping young people Fit and Fed in challenging times Written by Jane Shrewing, Fit and Fed Programme Director The last 18 months have been a difficult time for our children and young people, having missed almost two full years of schooling. Not only are they playing catch up academically, but in all other sorts of ways – physically, given the lack of opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity, therefore missing out on all the benefits of being physically active for health, growing their confidence, being part of a team. Socially, having to re-establish their friendship groups, meeting new friends, particularly if they transitioned from primary to secondary schools during the pandemic and whilst finding their feet in a new environment. Academically, in particular where home-schooling has been problematic in all sorts of ways. There are also a number of our children and young people who have suffered with ill mental health and are now struggling to adapt to ‘normality’, whatever that looks like. But for our children in our underserved communities, these issues have been amplified due to increased income deprivation, a digital gap, and limited access to outdoor spaces. The end result is a drastic widening of the inequality gap. Holiday hunger, inactivity and social isolation In 2016 when StreetGames launched our Fit and Fed campaign to counter the triple inequalities of holiday hunger, inactivity and social isolation, we didn’t envisage that there would be upwards of 4.3million children living in poverty in the UK in 2021. Exacerbated by the pandemic, the number of children eligible for free school meals has grown exponentially and is still increasing, and yet these children are just the tip of the iceberg – there are still 2 in 5 children living in poverty who aren’t eligible for free school meals. Engagement this summer has therefore never been so important and we are indebted to our network of Locally Trusted Organisations in England and Wales who have enabled children and young people in our underserved communities to have access to organised sport and physical activity opportunities, fun, friendship and food. Community role models These LTOs are at the heart of the communities they serve, the staff are community role models and they are as - the name would suggest - local organisations who have earned the trust of the children, young people and their families. During the pandemic, these organisations diverted their resources to support their communities; helping to deliver food parcels, supporting those isolating or suffering from ill-health, against a backdrop of limited capacity and financial resources. However, during the holidays, as soon as the opportunity allowed for face-to-face delivery, these LTOs did what they do best, delivering high quality Doorstep Sport to children and young people, ranging from the ages of 5 – 16 in a variety of settings, including parks, open spaces, community centres, leisure centres, sports clubs, schools and many more. In addition to sport and exercise sessions they provided the opportunity to learn new skills, take part in enrichment activities, and enjoy a healthy meal all in a safe and child friendly environment. At StreetGames we place so much value in our network of LTOs and are keen to encourage more to join our network, so that together we can address the issues of social isolation, holiday hunger and inactivity in all school holidays. We are incredibly thankful for the work they do, and we will continue to work alongside them to support the delivery of Fit and Fed to those children who need it most. PREVIOUS What do young people want post-pandemic? NEXT StreetGames response to the Comprehensive Spending Review Sign up for our StreetGames Monthly newsletter Stay in touch with our work, unlock your fundraising potential and discover how we change lives! SUBSCRIBE CONTACT A: StreetGames, 61 Mosley Street, 4th Floor Woolwich House, Manchester, M2 3HZ T: 0161 7070782 E: support@streetgames.org QUICK LINKS Search Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Network Services Join the Network Contact Us Copyright © 2021 StreetGames UK | Website by Small-Fry Design Like most websites we use cookies to deliver a personalised service. For full details see our Privacy Policy. To use the website as intended please accept cookies. ACCEPT COOKIES