The Active Lives Children’s Survey for 2022 to 2023 shows a significant increase in the proportion of Year 1 to Year 11 pupils in the city who are classed as either 'active' or 'fairly active' – and a decrease in those who are 'less active'.
Some 41.9% of children and young people in Wolverhampton are 'active' - completing 60 minutes or more of sport or physical activity a day, or 420 minutes across the week – while 24.8% are fairly active, meaning they complete an average of 30 to 59 minutes of sport or physical activity a day, or 210 to 419 minutes a week.
These are up from 35% and 22.5% respectively in 2021 to 2022.
Meanwhile the proportion who are 'less active', completing fewer than 30 minutes of sport or physical activity a day across the week, fell to 32.4%, down from 42.5% the previous year.
As a result, Wolverhampton has moved from being ranked the third worst local authority area for physical activity among children and young people in 2021 to 2022 to 61st in 2022 to 2023.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: "Regular physical activity can help children and young people improve their heart health, build strong bones and muscles, control weight, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and cut the risk of developing some health conditions in later life, and so it obviously great news that more and more children and young people in Wolverhampton are becoming physically active.
"We can put this down to a number of reasons, not least the increasing range of physical activities that are available either for free or at a low cost through our popular Yo! Wolves school holiday programmes, the growth of the sport and physical activity offer in schools, and of course our city’s involvement in the Better Health: Rewards pilot which has supported families to develop healthier habits.
“Getting people active also forms a key part of Health and Wellbeing Together's new Physical Activity Strategy, with the health and wellbeing board and its partners determined to create a city where everyone can be physically active every day.”
She added: “We are still slightly below the regional and national average, however we are dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of physical activity and increasing the opportunities for everyone – including children and young people – to be active in our city. We are confident that participation rates will continue to grow in the future.”
