New analysis released during Mental Health Awareness Week by children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust, for the first time places an economic value on the critical importance of free-to-access school sport and physical activity for a child’s mental wellbeing.
The analysis, conducted by social impact consultancy State of Life, shows the provision of access to free physical activity in both primary and secondary schools is worth at least £4.5bn each year in improved life satisfaction, happiness and wellbeing amongst young people and is likely to be double this.
The calculation is based on the Treasury-recommended measure of wellbeing – the WELLBY, which states that a plus 1 point movement in life satisfaction per annum is worth £13,000 in economic value.
Source – Youth Sport Trust