HULL – A Labour councillor has called for renewed joint action to encourage more children and young people in Hull to take part in sport and physical activity at a meeting of Hull City Council held on Thursday 16 January.
Councillor Paul Harper, Labour councillor for North Carr ward, brought forward a motion urging the council and its partners to do more to promote sport in schools and communities, amid concerns that large numbers of young people are disengaging from physical activity.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Harper said participation in sport among young people had declined significantly in recent years, with national research suggesting that by the age of 13 around 70 per cent of children have stopped taking part altogether.
He pointed to a range of contributing factors, including uneven delivery of physical activity in schools, limited access to free facilities and coaching, and increasing pressure on young people to specialise in a single sport or focus on academic targets at the expense of wider activity.
Cllr Harper, a former PE teacher, said the experience of sport for young people had changed substantially over time, shaped by wider social changes and expectations.
He said many children were missing out on the enjoyment of sport, with wider consequences for confidence, teamwork and long-term wellbeing, adding that both individual and team sports play an important role in developing skills valuable throughout adult life and employment.
The motion has called for cross-party support to establish a Task and Finish Group within the council’s scrutiny function. The proposed group would be tasked with developing a practical, city-wide strategy to increase physical activity among children and young people, including measurable outcomes for different age groups and a defined timetable for delivery.
Cllr Harper said any effective strategy would need to involve partners beyond the council, including schools, sports organisations and community groups across the city, and said he hoped the work would act as a catalyst for restoring engagement and enjoyment of sport among Hull’s young people.
The motion was debated and passed at the meeting.