On the way up

Renfrewshire kids are giving a high five to Active Schools.

Participation levels in the project have increased by 52 per cent over the last five years, with 6.8 million visits recorded during the academic year 2016 to 2017.

There have also been year- on- year increases across a wide range of other measurements including activity sessions, distinct deliverers, volunteers, and school to club links.

More than 294,000 pupils on average made 23 visits to Active Schools sport and physical activity sessions in the past year either before school, during lunch or after school.

The number of sessions on offer has grown by 54 per cent over the same five year period, from 238,514 to 368,074 in over 100 different sports and activities.

The figures released by sportscotland, the national agency for sport, also show that the number of people delivering sessions has risen by 47 per cent in the past five years, with 87 per cent of them volunteers.

Stewart Harris, chief executive of sportscotland, said: “It is great to see that our partnerships with local authorities and leisure trusts, schools, clubs, Active Schools managers and coordinators, and sports development officers is having such a profoundly positive impact in the growth of sport hubs.

“Investment from the Scottish Government and National Lottery continues to allow us to develop a worldclass system for all ,with more opportunities for people to participate in sport.”