South Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Midlothian and East Ayrshire councils have received lottery funding ranging from 48,660 to 173,910 from the distributor sportscotland for TOP programmes in primary schools and community sites to promote physical activity.
The programmes consist of TOP Play, which helps four-to nine-year-olds develop core skills in throwing, catching, running and jumping, and TOP Sport, which offers basketball, tennis and hockey for seven-to 12-year-olds. Each primary school in the project will receive equipment and training for teachers in how to deliver fun physical education lessons.
East Ayrshire plans to link the TOP programmes with fitness initiatives it has been running in nurseries. East Ayr-shire leisure development officer Katie Kelly said, 'For the past three years we have been working closely with nursery staff and providing in-service training focusing on new games and fun fitness. We hope to give them access to the equipment provided through TOP so we can link everything together and nursery children will have an enthusiasm for sport when they start primary school.' Midlothian council rugby development officer Brian Renwick said, 'We want to encourage teachers and assistants to get children into the gym and running around. We hope to give confidence and support to those who may not have a specific knowledge of sport.' Alastair Dempster, chairman of sportscotland, said, 'Improving the level of physical activity in young people is not just a desirable option, it is absolutely essential if we are to begin to reverse the negative trends in Scotland's health. Getting children interested in physical activity at an early age is one of the best opportunities we can give them. Sport can also help develop children's esteem and teach them social skills.'
that can be applied to other areas of their lives.'
As well as laying the foundation for healthier lifestyles, The TOP programme was originally developed by the UK-wide charity the Youth Sport Trust. In England there is also TOP Start for pre-school children but this is yet to be introduced in Scotland.
Recent studies have shown that obese and overweight children account for 15 per cent of the Scottish youth population but this programme hopes to increase physical activity levels among children.
