More children hooked on sport

THE number of young people in Pembrokeshire taking part in sport has dramatically increased since 2011, according to a report.
A survey of young people and sport in the UK has revealed a 50 per cent increase in the number of children in the county regularly taking part in sporting activities.
The Sport Wales School Sport Survey – which canvassed the opinions of 110,000 Welsh schoolchildren including nearly 5,000 Pembrokeshire pupils – is thought to be the largest survey of its kind in the world.
The local statistics show that 41 per cent of Pembrokeshire’s young people take part in sport on three or more occasions a week, compared with just 26 per cent in 2011.
The national average is 40 per cent compared with 27 per cent two years ago.
Taking part in sporting activity three or more times a week is seen as a key indicator of whether a child is ‘hooked on sport’, and a key goal of both Sport Pembrokeshire – the Sports Development arm of Pembrokeshire County Council – and the Welsh sport sector as a whole.
The survey offers a unique insight into young people’s participation, perceptions and attitudes towards school, extracurricular and club sport.
The three areas show above average scores when pupils were asked if they enjoyed PE lessons ‘a lot’. Pembrokeshire with 63 per cent compared well with the national average of 60 per cent.
Statistics also showed that 51 per cent of Pembrokeshire’s pupils visited a local leisure centre compared with 42 per cent nationally.
Ben Field, the Manager of Sport Pembrokeshire, said: “We are delighted to see such a significant increase in participation rates locally.
“It is a credit to the many organisations, agencies and individuals that make up the whole range of sport and activities that young people take part in.
“This data provides a robust base from which to move forward and an opportunity to learn about what we do well and what not so well”.
“The engagement of schools in the area in this year’s schools sport survey has been exceptional. I must also thank our colleagues within the local authority’s education directorate for their support in getting a full set of survey results.”