New Pass’Sport grant in France helps children get fit for free

Around 3.3million families are eligible for the one-off €50 payment, to be put towards signing up for a sports club before October 31

The new grant forms part of wider efforts to encourage children in France to do more sport
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Youngsters looking to join a sports club can benefit from money off the membership fee thanks to a new Pass’Sport grant.

The government scheme benefits children aged six to 17 whose families are eligible for financial support for the start of the new academic year (l’allocation de rentrée scolaire) or who receive a disability allowance.

The pass will be received by mail.

It forms part of wider efforts to encourage children to do more sport. A study published in 2019 by the World Health Organisation ranked France behind the US at 119th out of 146 countries for physical activity among young people. Among western countries, only Italy, Australia and New Zealand fell behind France.

More importance was being placed on other subjects, said Regina Guthold, one of the doctors behind the study. “I know that children go to school from morning to evening in France.

“They come home, they have homework to do. How can they do an hour of physical activity every day if the day is so full?” she said.

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