National Children's Day UK (NCDUK) is all about the importance of a healthy childhood and how we need to protect the rights and freedoms of children in order to ensure that they can grow into happy, healthy adults. 

This year National Children’s Day UK is taking place on Sunday 12 May and people can run any kind of big or small event that they want for the week up to and including the day. From small family outings, to whole school and community events, local authority initiatives, talks, seminars and city-wide celebrations, it's an opportunity for everyone to raise awareness about the things they care about or projects they are running.

Why is it so important? Because happy and healthy children create happy and healthy societies.

And yet children in the UK are having a hard time. Currently:

• 30% (4.1 million) currently live in poverty
• 22% are clinically obese (with the number of 10 and 11-year-old children classed as severely obese in the final year of primary school now nearly double those found in reception classes)
• One in eight (11.2%) children under 19 in England currently have a mental health disorder
• 2 million children in England live in families with substantial complex needs and of these
• 1.6 million children have no established, recognised form of additional support.

Wendy Ellyatt, Chief Executive of the Save Childhood Movement said:
“Children are our future - and protecting the health and wellbeing of children is everybody’s business. No matter what role we have in society, we need to work together to ensure that every child in the UK feels safe, loved, valued. If we want to create a more caring and compassionate world, we must start with children."

People can run any kind of big or small activity or event that they want for the week up to and including NCDUK. The conversation continues on social media #NCDUK2019

Take a look at PACEY's resources around physical activity, nutrition, body confidence and activites section for more ideas, support and information.