The Daily Mile at Stormont

Today, over 100 children from Belfast schools gathered at Stormont to take part in physical activity and health & wellbeing initiative, The Daily Mile, supported by INEOS.

Bringing together leaders in sport, education and health, local children were joined by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, after reaffirming Northern Ireland’s commitment to integrating daily physical activity into the lives of young people.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: “We are seeing Northern Ireland’s schools’ remarkable commitment to The Daily Mile, with our region having the highest percentage of school participation in the UK.”

“Research shows being physically active is one of the best things we can do for our health and wellbeing, and it can support the development of our children and young people.”

The Health Minister continued: “Initiatives such as The Daily Mile can help build physical activity into our daily routines. It is a simple, impactful and inclusive model that can make a positive contribution to our efforts of increasing daily physical activity in our schools.”  

This comes at a time when government formally announce The Daily Mile model will be adopted as part of the new obesity prevention framework.

A report from Dr. Gavin Breslin’s et al report (2023), funded by the Public Health Agency Research and Development Unit for Northern Ireland and the Education Authority, highlighted the benefits of the Daily Mile, including improved fitness, mental wellbeing, and cognitive function.

Gordon Banks, Global Director of The Daily Mile Foundation, praised the progress made in Northern Ireland, stating it was a positive example of cross-sector collaboration.

“Due to the leadership of the Daily Mile Network Northern Ireland and the work of Athletics NI, schools across the country have embraced the Daily Mile model, creating learning environments that help children thrive. By placing the Daily Mile as part of the new obesity prevention framework, we can support more schools to embed physical activity into their day, giving children more opportunities for healthy, active lives.” Banks says.

Elaine Grant, CEO of Athletics NI, who employ Northern Ireland’s Daily Mile coordinator role, says Athletics NI believe that every child should experience the joy and benefits of movement, and The Daily Mile model is a key way to enable that and is simple for schools to promote.

“The Daily Mile gives children a fun, accessible way to get active, improving both their physical health and confidence and starts a journey of life-long engagement in physical activity. It’s wonderful to see this initiative supported at such a high level, and we look forward to even more schools joining in,” Grant says.

Dr Brenda Mc Kay-Redmond, representing The Daily Mile Network Northern Ireland, expressed her pride in the network’s achievements: “Northern Ireland’s strong participation within schools shows the dedication of our teachers and parents who recognise the value of regular exercise for children’s mental and physical health. Our goal is to overcome any barriers to participation and ensure every child, including those in Special Educational Needs schools, can reap the benefits of regular physical activity.”

• Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, confirms The Daily Mile will be used as part of Northern Ireland’s new obesity prevention framework.
• Northern Ireland schools now have the highest percentage of Daily Mile registrations in the United Kingdom.
• Recent findings from a report published by Dr. Gavin Breslin of Queen’s University Belfast along with researchers from Stranmillis University and Ulster University highlights the benefits of The Daily Mile on children’s physical, mental, and cognitive health. See report here.