The Active Scotland Delivery Plan for physical activity, which sets out the wide range of actions the SNP Government and its partners will deliver to support people in Scotland to be more active, more often was published today.
The plan aligns closely to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Action Plan on Physical Activity, More Active People for a Healthier World which was published on 4 June 2018.
The WHO has welcomed the SNP Government’s plan and recognizes that Scotland is one of the first countries in the world to respond to the challenges they have identified.
The SNP Government aims to cut physical inactivity in adults and teenagers by 15% by 2030 – equating to around 250,000 more people becoming active – using wide-ranging approaches including active travel funding, support for both formal sports and informal physical activity and partnership working across the transport, education, health and planning sectors.
Some of the actions included in the Plan are: development of community sports hubs in the most deprived areas; more opportunities for pupils to participate in sport before, during and after school; support and development for helping people move from school sport to clubs; increased funding for cycle and walking paths; promoting good practice to ensure children have safe places to play; and addressing barriers to women and girls participating.
Kenneth Gibson MSP commented:
“This Delivery Plan is one of five linked public health strategies and plans which are being published in 2018. Taken together they create the environment for good health whilst encouraging individuals and communities to make better choices.
“The actions set out in this plan are a strong basis for focussing efforts on those areas which will make a real difference.”
“The launch of this delivery plan shows Scotland is leading on putting policy commitments into concrete actions supported by necessary resources to promote physical activity, for example, doubling the active travel budget from £40 million to £80 million per year.
“Regular physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your health. It can contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future for our children.”
The action plan is available here.
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