Exciting new partnership between England Athletics, the Personal Best Foundation, and Citroën

England Athletics announces new partnership with Citroën as 73% of parents say their kids don’t get recommended levels of exercise.

England Athletics, the development body for grassroots running and athletics in the UK, as well as its official charity partner, the Personal Best Foundation has announced a new partnership with Citroën.

Inspiring and supporting children and young people

England Athletics' purpose is to inspire individuals of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to take up running, fulfil their potential and develop a lifelong love of the sport. Through the new partnership, Citroën will support England Athletics to grow opportunities for children and young people, allowing them to experience the benefits of athletics and running at an early age, and then continue throughout school and into adulthood.

England Athletics, Chief Executive Officer, Chris Jones, said:

"We are proud to welcome Citroën into the England Athletics family. This partnership supports our shared commitment to sustainability and making athletics more accessible for young people. Through our Personal Best Foundation, Citroën’s support will help young people in schools across England experience athletics and will open the doors of opportunity for some of the most disadvantaged children and young people in England."

The partnership comes on the back of research by Citroën to parents that found, on average, British children spend 4.75 hours a week exercising, while the Chief Medical Officers recommend at least 60 minutes every day.

The partnership was announced at Sowe Valley Primary school, Coventry with Team GB Paralympian and Personal Best Foundation Ambassador Hannah Cockroft CBE.

At the launch, Hannah told us:

"I passionately believe that every young person should have the access and the opportunities to experience the physical and mental benefits of sport irrespective of their background or personal circumstances. It’s also great to see a partnership with a real commitment to sustainability, promoting a healthier, more active, and more responsible future."

According to Sport England’s annual Active Lives survey 2023/24, only 47% of children are meeting the UK’s Chief Medical Officer’s recommended daily activity levels**, with children from low-income families and under-served communities the least likely to be active. According to Citroën’s own research, it found that a lack of time and interest were cited by over a third of parents as the main barriers to getting their children to exercise.

Accessibility for all

Around one in eight toddlers and primary school-aged children in England are categorised as obese. In Year 6, the prevalence of obesity alone in children is 22.7% and for those living in the most deprived areas this increases to 30.2%. *** The UK has some of the poorest child mental health outcomes globally, with the cost of living crisis further limiting opportunities for physical activity.

Chris Theobold, Sales and Operations Director, Citroën UK, added:

"We’re proud that our partnership with England Athletics will give young people access to sport and exercise, help improve young people’s lives and offer support to the next generation of talent. The statistics on childhood inactivity and health is very concerning and we are very happy to be able to make running, jumping and throwing more accessible, just as we are making electric vehicles accessible to all."

Inequality and poverty put the opportunity for organised exercise and activity beyond the reach of around 4 million children and young people across the UK. The partnership between Citroën, England Athletics and Personal Best Foundation will help to change this, as initially 15 primary schools -  prioritising those with the greatest need and children most at risk of inactivity - in Coventry, Warwickshire and Ellesmere Port, close to Citroen Headquarters will benefit from free weekly after-school athletics programmes. In addition, free training for the teachers in the schools will allow the programme to be continued and ensure that running, jumping and throwing have a place in the curriculum.

Hannah Cockroft CBE, Personal Best Foundation Ambassador and England Athletics Sustainability Ambassador, said:

“It’s fantastic to be part of this exciting new partnership between England Athletics, the Personal Best Foundation, and Citroën. It was a privilege to meet the school children today and see first-hand how powerful sport can be in changing lives and helping young people discover what they are truly capable of."

Nurturing talent

The partnership will also support young up and coming athletes in England through England Athletics’ National and Age group championships and its Talent Pathway Programme, which aims to help gifted young athletes progress to be the international athletics stars of the future.

Chris Jones said:

"Citroen’s backing of our national events and talent programmes - supported by Citroen’s electric vehicles -  aligns with our drive for a more sustainable future and our approach to encourage our network of athletes and clubs to adopt more sustainable practices."

Chris Theobold added:

"In partnering with England Athletics and its official charity, we believe we can help make a difference and give school children in some of the country’s less fortunate areas the chance to enjoy the benefits of athletics, be active and have fun. Whilst also supporting elite talent on the pathway to success."

The partnership in summary

• Citroën will support the Personal Best Foundation to deliver an after-school athletics programme starting with 15 schools in Coventry, Warwickshire and Ellesmere Port - all close to their headquarters.
• Citroën will be the headline partners for England Athletics’ National and Age Group Championships in the summer.
• Citroën will offer support to 16 athletes on the England Athletics talent pathway programme, with the aim of helping them to develop the skills, competencies, knowledge, and resilience to progress and succeed at senior championships and international level, whilst gaining a positive life experience from the journey.
• The partnership will be focused on battery electric vehicles and will give members of England Athletics preferential terms on Citroën’s range of battery electric vehicles (EVs), highlighting the brand’s commitment to making EVs accessible to all and consistent with England Athletics’ principles of sustainability.