ITV, STV and SKY have joined forces with INEOS in a national campaign to help millions of children to get back to being fit and active with The Daily Mile.

As part of the broadcasters’ £10 million commitment, and INEOS’ ongoing support towards improving children’s physical health through diet and exercise, a new TV advertising campaign will launch today during Emmerdale.

The popular primary school initiative has been a hit with parents, teachers and school children around the world with 2.3 million children now running a mile every school day, in over 11,000 schools and nurseries, across 78 countries.

With an emphasis on the importance of physical exercise, The Daily Mile encourages children to walk, jog or run, at their own pace for 15 minutes every day to help improve physical, emotional and social health and wellbeing.

The Daily Mile which is now in over 8,000 primary schools in the UK alone, has been proven to improve physical health, increased concentration and better attainment in class.

The Daily Mile was first developed in 2012 by Scottish headteacher Elaine Wyllie MBE. Since 2016 it has been supported by INEOS, who funded the creation of the advert.

ITV began a partnership with The Daily Mile in 2018, helping the campaign to generate a 350% uplift in schools which meant 1 million more children running a mile a day.

ITV CEO, Carolyn McCall, said:

“Our partnership with The Daily Mile is all about using our platform and reach as a force to drive a change in attitudes towards physical health. We’ve already been so encouraged by the positive engagement from parents, teachers and children, and we continue in our ambition to get every primary school in the country taking part. Right now, it’s so tough for schools but we know that doing The Daily Mile is great not just for children’s physical health, but also their mental wellbeing and ability to focus in class.”

Founder of The Daily Mile, Elaine Wyllie MBE, said:

“It’s been wonderful to see children still running The Daily Mile at Home through lockdown, but it’s brilliant now that children have returned back to school and back to The Daily Mile. There’s never been a more important time for children to be physically active and we hope to support schools as they continue to adjust to the new normal.”

Teachers and parents are encouraged to visit www.thedailymile.co.uk for further information on how they can participate in The Daily Mile safely and in accordance with the latest Government guidelines.

The broadcasters’ investment in the importance of healthy eating and encouraging children to exercise extends across other initiatives including Eat Them To Defeat Them.

[ends]

Note to editors

The Daily Mile

The Daily Mile is simple – but can be transformational to children’s health and wellbeing. It involves classes heading outside to jog or run around the school grounds for 15-minutes every day, at whatever pace suits the child best. It gets children active with their friends and teachers and refreshed for further learning. The Daily Mile is free, fun and fits in the school day easily.

A growing network of academic research continues to highlight the many benefits of regular participation in The Daily Mile for children’s physical and mental health and their learning. In 2018 research findings from the Universities of Stirling and Edinburgh urged policymakers to consider introducing The Daily Mile to improve the health and fitness of schoolchildren. It confirmed that the initiative boosts activity levels in class and improves fitness and body composition. To continue to explore the impact of The Daily Mile on children’s physical health and educational attainment The Daily Mile has partnered with Imperial College London to undertake a three-year scientific study

Though named “The Daily Mile” (as children tend to average running a mile in the 15-minutes), the distance isn’t compulsory, and the ethos of the scheme is of inclusivity, enjoyment, and self-improvement over time. The Daily Mile is intended to help all children, no matter their age, ability or personal circumstances, enjoy getting active every day – getting fitter and healthier now, but also developing healthy habits for a lifetime.