Northumberland and Tyne and Wear schools are set to utilise a £3 million grant for a myriad of extracurricular activities.

The money from Opening Schools Facilities Fund (OSF) will go towards activities including cycling, gymnastics, forest schools, pool clubs and boxercise.

Since its 2022 inception, Rise, a local health and wellbeing charity, has allocated £1.7 million of the government grant across 68 schools, extending sport facilities use beyond conventional school hours and bolstering community activity levels.

Francesca Laban, OSF project manager at Rise, said: “By March 2025 we hope to have worked with at least 82 schools in communities where adults and children will benefit most from new activities to help them to be more physically active.

Earlier beneficiaries of the fund include The West Tyne Church Schools Federation in rural Northumberland, which procured £15,000 to inaugurate a forest school club and an afterschool gymnastics club.

Jarrow School invested its £30,000 into virtual reality headsets for a fitness programme for 14 to 15-year-old girls, and launched a pool club with the remainder.

Battle Hill Primary School in Wallsend assigned its £29,500 to extend its Bike4Health scheme, buying bicycles for every student.

Mike Glenton, executive head teacher at Henshaw and Greenhead Primary Schools, said: "Our two schools at the West Tyne Church Schools Federation have worked with Rise since September on our OSF activities; what a difference it has made this year."

Chris Bourke, deputy headteacher at Battle Hill Primary School, added: "We’ve purchased bikes, shipping containers for storage, helmets and bike maintenance kits to develop a cycling curriculum and enrichment activities.

"By Christmas, approximately 110 pupils will have completed our Bike4Health programme with children who were considered non-riders now competent cyclists who can ride 7 to 10 miles."

Rise forms part of the 43 Active Partnerships across the country benefiting from the government’s £57 million 'Opening School Facilities' fund, aimed at cultivating extracurricular opportunities for children and young people, particularly in areas affected by significant health, social, and economic disparities.

The funds could be used to purchase equipment, train staff, or even open school swimming pools for pupils.