Daily Mile’s success grows

The Daily Mile health and wellbeing initiative, which started in Stirling, has announced that four million children in 90 countries worldwide are taking part more than double 2019 figures.

Last year Scotland was announced the world’s first Daily Mile Nation, meaning over half of primary schools across Scotland’s 32 local authorities are doing the Daily Mile, developing healthy habits for life.

The Daily Mile initiative was founded by Elaine Wyllie MBE in 2012 - born out of a concern around children’s lack of physical fitness.

Headteacher of St Ninians’s Primary School at the time, Elaine got her pupils moving for 15 minutes every day to improve their overall health and wellbeing.

Elaine Wyllie said this week:“from a single school in Stirling to now over 16,500 schools and four million children, it is staggering to see how this initiative has grown into a global movement in a little over 10 years. Being active is key for everyone’s health and wellbeing.

“I’d like to thank the children, teachers, schools and all of our partners in 90 countries who share our vision of helping children across the world to get fit for life.

“Reaching the four million milestone is a brilliant way for us to kick off the year and we’re excited to continue to make a positive impact on children’s lives in the years to come.”

Research shows the benefits of The Daily Mile for children’s physical health, mental wellbeing, and learning. Increased activity means increased fitness, helping children feel happier and supporting children’s focus and concentration in the classroom. Research by the Universities of Stirling and Edinburgh found that the success of the initiative lies in its core principles and ease of implementation.

Daily Mile backer, chairman of INEOS, Sir Jim Ratcliffe SAID:“INEOS has supported the Daily Mile for years because it’s a free, simple, and effective way to improve children’s physical and mental wellbeing.

“It has been a natural fit for us to work with an initiative that is so passionate about helping more children enjoy exercise more often, and we look forward to its success as it continues to transform more lives around the world.”