School is miles better for Westhoughton kids

The Daily Mile fitness and social activity is being adopted by a growing number of schools worldwide and The Gates Primary School in Westhoughton approached Newground Together to discuss the creation of a new running track that would give the school’s pupils encouragement to lead healthier and more active lifestyles and ultimately boost engagement in its own Daily Mile initiative.

Following a £13,695 Gift in Kind grant, Newground’s Landscape Services team constructed an outdoor running track, which has delivered an exciting new educational activity space for The Gates Primary School.

The project has ensured that more than 300 children and 42 staff take part in regular exercise by either walking, jogging or running a mile, with the teachers also encouraging parents/carers to join in the sporting activity during the morning running club.

Headteacher Karen Forshaw explains: “We’re fully committed to promoting health and wellbeing and the Daily Mile has been an excellent way to reinforce healthy habits and encourage our children to enjoy exercising from a young age.

Regular running assessments show that 100% of pupils have improved their fitness since the Daily Mile initiative and running track was introduced, with the data recording a continued increase in the total number of laps run over a set timeframe.

The new running track is now acting as a catalyst for change across the local community by encouraging greater participation in sport and delivering healthier minds and bodies. The facility has also hosted a number of community events including a Summer Fair and Sports Day and is being offered as a new training venue for local sports clubs to train on.