School kids learn a new kind of MAFs

More than 3,000 school children will be taught a new kind of MAFs over the next five weeks as part of the school sports programme.

Bradford Council has teamed up with the children's museum Eureka! to provide the Mission: Active Future (MAF) activities programme for primary and secondary school children to experience a range of sports and activities.

Mission: Active Future is Eureka!'s new interactive touring mobile gym bus for 6 to 11- year-olds, which aims to teach children from 100 schools across the district the benefits of regular exercise and healthy lifestyle choices.

It was created with funding from Sport England and the Big Lottery Fund and will be touring schools across Yorkshire & Humber.

Mission: Active Future encourages children to think about their body, diet and fitness through a unique series of hands-on puzzles, multimedia quizzes and fun physical challenges.

On-board activities include a specially designed speed bike, stepper and balance boards to test balance and agility. Sports coaching will also be provided for the children at each of the sites.

The five-week programme started on Monday 13 November at Richard Dunn Sports Centre, with pupils from schools in south Bradford spending 40 minutes on the Eureka! bus and a further 40 minutes taking part in the b active challenge and learning multi-skills activities.

Fundamental skills such as running, jumping, catching and throwing will be taught in the hope these 'physical literacy' skills will make youngsters more likely to be successful in sports and activities so they want to continue playing them.

Bradford Council's strategic manager for physical education and school sport Phil Wagner said: "MAF is one of the most interesting and exciting projects I have seen because it directly targets the age group we want to engage.

"Innovative projects like this will have a positive impact on children who find more formal sports off-putting and I am delighted that the school sports partnerships are offering a wide range of activities to children in Bradford."

Head of Sport and Leisure at Bradford Council Steve Warner said: "Mission: Active Future is a unique and exciting experience that enthuses children to get involved in physical activity and sport while explaining the benefits that regular exercise and other healthy lifestyle choices can bring.

"It's fantastic that we now have it here in Bradford and it is really important that we continue to seek out new and innovative ways of encouraging our young people to be, and most importantly, stay active - it is a key part of our b active campaign."

The programme sees youngsters in the Bradford north area enjoying MAF in the week commencing 20 November, the following week youngsters from schools in Bradford West, the week commencing 27 November sees those in Shipley and Bingley take part, before it finishes with schools from Keighley and Ilkley enjoying the fun at The Leisure Centre, Keighley.

MAF is part of the Sport and Leisure Service's commitment through its b active campaign to get more youngsters physically active and to provide more opportunities for them to be able to do so.

The Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links initiative is being delivered across five School Sports Partnerships and aims to provide high-quality physical education to all five to 16-year-olds in the district.