YST National School Sport Week commenced on Monday 24 June with a Five Ways to Wellbeing Festival at Flixton Girls School – part of the Healthy Learning Trust, bringing together schools from across Manchester.

YST National School Sport Week 2019 sees schools as well as sporting organisations, charities and businesses putting on events, sports days and talks. The week is being themed around the Five Ways to Wellbeing – focusing on how PE and school sport get people active, connecting, giving back, taking notice and learning.

Almost 70 young people from schools across Manchester took part in the event with a visit from YST Ambassador Ben Smith and MP Kate Green.

Julie Hazeldine, CEO of the Healthy Learning Trust, said:

The mission of the Healthy Learning Trust is to promote scholarship through our 5 health and well-being pathways. When I heard Ben’s story through the YST I wanted to help inspire our young people to try developing a more positive and confident approach to physical activity.

I am delighted that Ben and The 401 Challenge together with the YST chose Flixton Girls School as the venue for the launch of the new 401 challenge and of National School Sport Week 2019.  The sports leaders from Flixton and from BTH did a tremendous job in coaching our primary school Year 6 pupils in four new activities that promote the five pathways. The year 6 playground leaders took some fabulous resources and activities back to their own schools to spread the message. Thank you to the children from Kings Road, Acre Hall, English Martyrs, Gorse Hill and St Mary’s Primary Schools for being so brilliant.

Ben Smith, of the 401 Foundation and YST Ambassador, said:

It was great to be at Flixton Girls' School in Manchester to launch National School Sport Week. Kids from across Manchester learnt about new skills around getting their peers active to then take back to their own schools and implement them. The event was focussed on the 'give' element of National School Sport Week and the Five Ways to Wellbeing and over the course of the week I am excited to see each element come to life.

Schools and organisations like FGS and the Healthy Learning Trust are a vital part of harnessing the power of physical activity at a grass roots level to build a wider understanding of wellbeing and health.

For more information about the week and to sign up visit www.youthsporttrust.org/nssw