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What is the Challenge?
The Physical Activity Challenge is an opportunity for all civil service organisations to show their commitment to a fitter and healthier workforce by encouraging staff to ‘get physical’. Sir Gus O’Donnell announced the Challenge at Civil Service Live on 7th July and Una and Jonathan have written to all government departments urging them to sign up.
Una O’Brien and Jonathan Stephens, Permanent Secretaries at the Department of Health and Department for Culture, Media and Sport, have agreed to lead a civil service-wide Physical Activity Challenge inspired by the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This includes Departments, their arms length bodies, agencies and local offices around the country. Specifically, the challenge is for each organisation to motivate its staff to be more active in accordance with new Chief Medical Officers’ physical activity guidelines published on 11th July. The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games provide the backdrop and the inspiration for the Challenge, which will encompass all kinds of physical activity from walking to work through to competitive sport. The Challenge starts now and Departments have 12 months to build up to a week of physical activity in September 2012.
Evidence tells us that the least active have the most to gain and that activity should be fun. The ‘how’ is down to each organisation, which can be as creative and innovative as it wishes. The Challenge will run until the end of September 2012, but we hope that a new culture of activity and ongoing support will help us all to get active and stay active.
CSSC Sports and Leisure will be a key partner but other organisations promoting/delivering physical activity and sport will also have an important role to play.
It will be up to each organisation to demonstrate the progress they have made and outstanding achievement will be ‘named and acclaimed’. The aim is that civil service organisations will submit how well they are doing in the autumn of 2012, but there will also be an opportunity to recognise the success of those fastest out of the blocks through the 2012 Civil Service Awards.
Sir Gus will announce gold, silver and bronze awards in November 2012 for the top three active civil service organisations (according to the percentage of your staff who meet the Chief Medical Officers’ physical activity guidelines).
Last updated 175 days ago by Ranna Patel