London, 1 October, 2025 – Reception pupils at Harbinger Primary School in London have received free movement-friendly uniforms and activity bands as part of a year-long pilot launched by the Youth Sport Trust, a leading national children’s charity. The initiative aims to tackle the growing inactivity crisis among children, with the support of Sports Direct and Under Armour.
The Always Active Uniform, gifted by Under Armour and provided by Sports Direct, is a flexible and comfortable school uniform designed to support spontaneous movement and daily activity. The pupils will also be wearing donated Moki Bands to track their movement throughout the school day.
To kick off the pilot, Stoke City defender (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur) and Under Armour athlete, Ashley Phillips, joined Harbinger Primary School during National School Sports Week in June to deliver the Always Active Uniform and inspire the pupils to embrace movement.
According to research, only 47% of young people achieve the recommended 60 minutes of daily activity, and in Tower Hamlets, where Harbinger Primary School is located, over half of children are overweight or obese by age 11. This pilot will explore the impact of the Always Active Uniform in this area of need, providing insights that could inform broader strategies to improve children’s activity levels and overall health.
Aside from the physical benefits, schools that have already adopted an Always Active Uniform have reported wider positive impacts, such as improved comfort and focus in class, greater inclusion, and reduced costs for families.
A recent survey conducted by YouGov showed increasing support for the Always Active Uniform from parents and teachers, with 74% of parents and 69% of primary teachers believing that it would enable students to spend more time being active during the school day.
Ali Oliver MBE, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said, “We understand that schools are under pressure to prioritize academic subjects, which unfortunately has led to a decrease in PE taught hours. So, while we continue to campaign for the reprioritization of PE, it’s equally important that we find practical ways to help students build movement into every part of the school day. We believe something as simple as what children wear to school could unlock more active days and the multitude of benefits that accompany it. We are extremely grateful to our partners for supporting this project, giving us the chance to show the difference we can make to children’s lives by helping them move more. We can’t wait to see the impact.”
Jamie Stewart, Education Partnerships Manager at Frasers Group, said, “At Sports Direct, we are committed to making sport and activity accessible to all children, and we hope this initiative will demonstrate how a simple, yet practical solution could have a real impact on children’s health and wellbeing. We are proud to be supporting this pilot with Harbinger Primary School and the Always Active Uniform, which eliminates the need for traditional uniform and separate PE kit, helping families save time and money while encouraging children to move more.”
Mike Outlaw, Co-Founder of Moki, said, “We’re excited to support this pilot and see how active uniforms can help embed movement into the school day. At Moki, we’ve seen how even small changes to a child’s routine can make a big difference, and by tracking daily activity, we’ll be able to demonstrate with real data that this simple change works. We believe school uniforms should support how children naturally live, learn, and move, rather than restrict them.”
The pilot will run throughout the academic year, with results reviewed in 2026. The Youth Sport Trust hopes the findings will inspire more schools and policymakers to see active uniforms as a simple but powerful tool to get more children moving.
About Youth Sport Trust
The Youth Sport Trust is the leading UK children’s charity for improving young people’s health and wellbeing through sport and play. Founded in 1995, the charity works with around 20,000 schools and provides opportunities for over two million children every year. Their vision is to create a future where every child enjoys the life-changing benefits of play and sport.
Youth Sport Trust is a founding member of the Active Uniform Alliance, which calls for schools, policymakers, and partners to rethink restrictive uniforms and support movement-friendly alternatives.
For media inquiries, please contact press@youthsporttrust.org.
About Sports Direct
Sports Direct is a leading retailer of sports and fitness footwear, clothing, and equipment. With a mission to use the powers of sport to champion the legend in everybody, Sports Direct aims to serve, support, and inspire customers of all ages and abilities. The brand has evolved from a high-street store into the ultimate destination for sport and fitness, serving millions of customers every week across 20 countries.
About Moki
Moki Bands is the only activity tracker built for schools, trusted by over 1700 schools to help children meet activity targets and understand the role of movement in their everyday lives. Moki turns daily movement into clear, meaningful reports that
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