Covid lockdown: Parents' petition to let children travel for sport

Children should be allowed to cross local lockdown areas to train with their own sports clubs, parents have said.

More than 8,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Welsh Government to make sports training a "reasonable excuse" for children to travel.

Parents say it would improve children's physical and mental wellbeing.

The Welsh Government said regulations were guided by expert advice.

Wendy Brady, from Undy in Monmouthshire, started the petition because her 12-year-old daughter Anya is not currently allowed to train with her club Newport Harriers.

"Anya absolutely loves running so all through lockdown she went training on the football field behind us," said Wendy.

"Come rain or shine, she'll go to training, she is really dedicated. She's doing really well, she is super motivated but now she is unable to train because of local lockdown restrictions.

"We live about two and a half miles from the boundary of Newport county which means she is not allowed to train in the stadium."

The current rules mean Anya is back to training on the field behind her house.

"It's a bit unfair because some people could go and I couldn't," Anya said.

"I prefer running on the track because the grass is not as nice. I have to come straight after school so I can do it when it's light, but in the track they have massive floodlights.

"When I'm racing I like it because I always do better than when I'm on my own. It's that feeling of being in a race and wanting to do your best."

Wendy is concerned about her daughter training outside as winter approaches and missing out on seeing her friends and her routine.

"A lot of parents feel the same way - these are fit children who regularly exercise. They need to carry on exercising, for their physical wellbeing but also their mental wellbeing in these difficult times," she said.

"They have all missed out on a lot. We just want them to be able to carry on."

Clubs around the country are affected, with 15 of the 22 local authorities in Wales currently under restrictions.

The All Stars Gymnastics club, based in Taffs Well in Rhondda Cynon Taf, usually sees many of its members travelling from nearby local authority areas such as Cardiff and Caerphilly.

But coronavirus restrictions mean only 80 of the 500 gymnasts the club has on the books can train.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "Travelling to and from a lockdown area for amateur sport activities is not permissible as we try to stop the spread of the virus, protect public health and save lives.

"The coronavirus regulations are under constant review and guided by expert advice."