Every Child Can

The Government has announced an initiative so that children in every part of the country to get access to enriching activities to beat isolation online and build connections in the real world.

This scheme will deliver £132.5 million for new activities programmes delivered through schools, community programmes, weekend activities and holiday provision.

Greater access to opportunities in sport, creative activities, nature and the arts will be made available to children both in and out of school in order to halve the participation gap and reclaim childhood for all young people.

The drive to make sure all children are supported to develop new skills and explore their talents includes new benchmarks for schools and colleges published today. These will ensure schools and colleges have the practical tools and guidance to offer a wide range of opportunities across five categories: civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoor and adventure; life and future skills including STEM, sport and physical activities. Leading figures within these categories will soon be announced as ambassadors using their influence and expertise to inspire participation, raise awareness and help drive support for enriching opportunities for young people.

Activities could include music groups, engineering clubs, debating societies, football clubs and much more. These clear benchmarks will work in partnership with civil society and help schools and colleges develop inclusive, engaging enrichment offers that reflect the needs of their pupils and communities.

More information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/every-child-to-get-access-to-enriching-activities-to-build-skills-and-confidence-for-life

Kerry Booth, Chief Executive, Rural Services Network:  It is fantastic that the Government is recognising the importance of enrichment activities for every child in the country.  It will be vital to ensure that these are also available for children living within rural communities, where issues such as the only school bus leaving straight from school, can often mean that children are unable to stay and take part in activities after school. We look forward to seeing the detail of these proposals when they are published, to help ensure that rural children can thrive and achieve their full potential.