Everyone Active’s Cared For programme aims to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of children and young people with experience of the care system as part of its new community health and wellbeing strategy.
The age-based memberships will offer individuals free access to gym, swim, soft play and group exercise and will be available at more than 200 of the organisation’s UK leisure centres.
According to latest figures from the Department for Education, the number of children in care is at a record high, with more than 80,000 children under the care of local authorities.
Rebecca Phillips, Everyone Active’s strategic lead for health and wellbeing, said: “We want to provide opportunities for young people and children who have been in or currently are in care and offer them a safe space to enjoy our sports and activity offering.”
The Everyone Active’s Cared For memberships will be rolled-out later this month and can be accessed through a referral system by council family support teams.
Meanwhile, England Hockey has published an open letter to Conservative leadership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, urging the next Prime Minister to increase access to sport for all children on the back of their Commonwealth Games success.
The letter states: “We were inspired by the success of the Lionesses at the Euros, the other team sports at the games, and we too delivered on behalf of the nation.
“We want to inspire the next generation and make real change in this country. We want to create more opportunities for children and young people of all backgrounds and abilities to enjoy sport and physical activity.”
England Hockey highlights that, “four million children aged between five and 16 failed to meet minimum recommended activity levels during the last year,” and urges the leadership candidates to prioritise team sport in schools.
