Children in the UK are in crisis. Whilst this issue is nothing new, the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine have driven the terrible inequalities existing around sport and activities for young people to devastating levels that will impact many generations to come.

- Almost a quarter (23.4%) of children are obese

- Over half of all children (53%) do not achieve the recommended daily activity levels

- 18% of children aged 7 to 16 have a probable mental disorder

- Young people from low affluence families are less likely to be active compared to those from medium and high affluence families

This is just a snapshot of some of the monumental challenges facing the lives of our young people and their families. Its simply not right! And to make matters worse, volunteer numbers have dropped by 3.1 million since pre-COVID levels, a decline of over a 3rd of all volunteers and the cost of living is making it increasingly more difficult for volunteers to continue giving their time - something many clubs and activities rely on to engage young people.

Being active and having access to sport, activities and facilities is a right that no child should be denied simply because of their post code, the income level of their household or any other uncontrollable reason. Sport and regular exercise and activity is life-giving. It provides a sense of belonging, instils confidence, self-esteem, develops resilience, team work and so much more, not to mention the physiological benefits of regular sport and activity.

Being at the heart of the sport and exercise workforce in the UK, CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport & Physical Activity) fully understands the power of sport and is committed to this challenge to start making a difference and positively changing the lives of those most disadvantaged young people. The initiative has been driven by Phill Wright of CIMSPA. "Through COVID, like millions of other children our 2 girls missed out on sport and the impact on their health and mental wellbeing was crushing, particularly our youngest daughter Joey who became angry, confused, low in confidence and simply not herself. Sport and exercise is so important for her, movement is how she expresses herself, releases stress without having to make sense of her emotions and when its not there the different is just huge! Weve been fortunate enough to get her back into activities and sport on a regular basis and the change its had on her mood and her character has been indescribable but not all families are able to do this through no fault of their own".

So, CIMSPA are coordinating a team to hike the equivalent of the UKs highest 3 peaks whilst carrying 20kg to ensure that No Child is Left Behind. The challenge is not going to be easy but the difference it will have on the lives of young people will make every grimace and ache more than worth it. Please give what you can, every single penny makes a difference.