Wolverhampton has seen a significant increase in the number of children and young people leading active lives, thanks to the City of Wolverhampton Council's commitment to tackling inactivity and promoting physical wellbeing.
The latest Children and Young People Active Lives data shows a big jump in activity levels over the last 12 months – from 45.1% in 2023-24, to 49.2% last year – with over 20,000 children and young people in Wolverhampton now classed as active and doing more than the recommended 60 minutes of sport or physical activity daily. Over the same period, there has also been a sharp fall in inactivity, with the proportion of children and young people classed as being 'less active' – or doing less than the recommended daily amount – dropping from 37.2% in 2023-24 to 28.1% last year, the equivalent of 4,500 more children now active.
As a result, inactivity rates among children and young people in Wolverhampton are at the lowest level ever recorded by Active Lives. This progress reflects the impact of the Wolverhampton Health and Wellbeing Together's new Physical Activity Strategy, a key objective of which is to create a city where everyone can be physically active every day.
It also highlights the impact of Yo! Active, launched by the council, WV Active and Wolves Foundation in 2024 and extended for another year last week. It offers a wide range of free activities all year round to children and young people aged up to 18, or 25 for care leavers or those with a disability.
Already, over 18,500 children and young people have signed up – to find out more, please visit www.yowolves.co.uk/yo-active. Yo! Active has also helped participation in the youth gyms at WV Active increase by more than 137% year on year, from 4,709 sessions in 2024 to 11,197 sessions last year.
These youth sessions take place within the main gyms at WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams and WV Active Central, and in the Home Straight gym at WV Active Aldersley. By providing safe, supportive, and accessible gym sessions for 14 to 16-year-olds young people, Yo! Active is directly contributing to improved health outcomes and creating inclusive opportunities for young people to make physical activity a part of everyday life.
Councillor Obaida Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: "This is a fantastic achievement for Wolverhampton and a clear sign that our collective efforts are paying off.
"By working closely with schools, community partners and through massively successful initiatives like Yo! Active and free swimming, we are seeing more children and young people embedding activity into their daily lives. Physical inactivity is responsible for a staggering one in six deaths in our city.
“If we are truly going to make a difference to life expectancy, we must find a way of helping our residents be more active, starting with our children and young people. Not only will this improve their health and wellbeing today, but it also sets the foundation for longer, healthier lives – and I am proud that Wolverhampton is tackling inactivity and ensuring our young people have every opportunity to thrive.”
