Chris Wright, Head of Wellbeing at the Youth Sport Trust, said:

“The disparity in the amount of time that girls and boys spend doing sports activities is reflective of our findings from recent research through our Girls Active programme. It is a cycle that we want to break and stop girls from missing out. It is clear from the ONS report that children get great enjoyment when taking part in sports and exercise activities in their spare time so we need to be supporting them to be active – not just in the school day but as a lifestyle choice

“We want to create a brighter future for all young people through sport, and we are diversifying as much as possible to do this. We want children to be active not just in physical education and sports, but during lunch hours, through after-school activities and with a timetable tailored for an active school day. We all need to move more.  Physical activity boosts mental wellbeing, reduces anxiety and improves mood.”

For more information on the Girls Active programme visit www.youthsporttrust.org/girls-active