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Press Releases & Position Statements
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Let’s Get Moving for Heart Children’s Health
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Let’s Get Moving for Heart Children’s Health
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14th May 2009 - For immediate release The Children's Heart Federation (CHF) launches Let’s Get Moving for Heart Children’s Health: a call to action to include children with congenital heart disease in PE at school and to increase their access to sport in the community, at its House of Common’s reception today (14 May) in the presence of Gerry Sutcliffe MP, Minister for Sport and one hundred delegates, including representatives of nine leading sports development organisations. The event, which takes place during Children’s Heart Week (9-17 May), is designed to highlight the right of children and young people with congenital heart disease (CoHD) to sporting opportunities, in order to tackle the exclusion of pupils with CoHD from PE. “We’ve heard from parents about unacceptable situations at school, in which children are being made to sit and play board games or just watch the other children during PE,” declares CHF Chief Executive Anne Keatley-Clarke. “Heart children have a right to inclusion in sports and this campaign is about turning that right into a reality.” While standard medical advice is that children with CoHD naturally ‘self-limit’ and will moderate their levels of activity within their physical capabilities, some schools are so risk averse that children are very restricted, and sometimes even excluded from the playground. This can have negative effects on their current and long-term mental and physical health. “We want to work with teachers to build their confidence around including children with CoHD,” asserts Anne Keatley-Clarke. “We will be pressing for the inclusion of sports in children’s Individual Education Plans and underpinning that drive with more information and training.” CHF has the support of the Youth Sport Trust, whose lead on inclusion issues, Mark Botterill is a speaker at the reception, reminding delegates of the Government’s commitment to ensuring that by 2011 all 5-16 year olds can access at least 5 hours of PE and sport every week through at least 2 hours high quality PE in the curriculum and a further 3 hours of sport beyond the school day delivered by a range of school, community and club providers. Mark Botterill observes, “The starting point for many young disabled people is through high quality PE. Although we know that more mainstream schools are now including these young people, this still remains an area for further improvement.” Delegates at the House of Commons reception represent major groups that CHF is targeting to involve in the campaign, including cardiac surgeons and cardiologists who provide information about children’s individual capabilities, parents and young people who contribute qualitative evidence about the provision of sports and sports development organisations, including several that specialise in disability sport. “This is multi-faceted issue,” explains Anne Keatley-Clarke,”so we’re taking a team approach. We’re encouraging as many people as possible who have an interest in CoHD and sport to sign up for the Let’s Get Moving Campaign on the CHF website.” -- Ends -- Media enquiries to Cecilia Yardley Office: 020 7422 0630 Notes for editors:
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