Time to get more of London’s teenagers active

London Sport's Specialist Advisor for Children and Young People Gary Palmer looks at how Sport England's Satellite Club funding, distributed by London Sport, can impact on the next generation in the capital.

Being a teenager these days can be really tough.

Growing up has always posed an array of challenges for young people, but the current generation face, arguably, more challenges than most.

The perennial pressures of adolescence, education, inequalities and deprivation have been magnified by the influence of social media.

Sedentary behaviour has become the norm as people sit more and move less.

At the same time, physical education time in secondary schools is being reduced. 

Research from the Youth Sport Trust found that 38% of English secondary schools have cut timetabled PE for 14-16-year-olds since 2012, while almost one in four (24%) have done so in the last academic year.

And physical activity and sport has the power to do so much that is positive at such a crucial time in a young person’s life. 

It can be a welcome distraction from the pressures of everyday life; it can improve confidence and self-esteem; it can bring people together from different backgrounds and communities and it can make a young person feel happy.

At London Sport, we want to give London’s children and young people the best opportunities to form a positive physical activity habit to set them up for a better life.

We want teenagers have to have the opportunity to experience a broad range of physical activity and sport.

And that’s where Satellite Clubs come in.

London Sport is once again searching for individuals, groups and clubs to get the capital's teenagers more active as Sport England Satellite Club funding becomes available for the first time in 2019.

It is particularly focused on young Londoners who aren’t already active, especially those who are in groups typically under-represented in sport.

Satellite Clubs provide opportunities to take part regularly in sport and activity through the creation of enjoyable, convenient club opportunities for young people that are designed around their needs and provide a positive experience of being active.

Whether the activities are new, old-ones redesigned for a new audience or a carousal of different opportunities - it is up to you. The key is they must provide a positive, fun experience, giving young people the confidence to want to take part.

Satellite Clubs have already helped thousands of young people to get active and now there is an opportunity to help thousands more. 

Let’s create a series of Satellite Clubs that are designed by young Londoners for young Londoners; let's really start to encourage our teenagers to create a physical activity habit for life.

Do you have the ability to reach inactive 14-19-year olds and an understanding of the different barriers and motivations to them taking part in physical activity and sport?

Do you have experience and a good track record of engaging inactive young people and access to an appropriate facility for delivery?

If so, register now to start changing young Londoners lives for the better.