Olympic Champions Back Air Quality Campaign Following Lionesses' European Victory

Following the Lionesses' triumphant European Championship victory on Sunday, Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams OBE and marathon legend Paula Radcliffe are throwing their support behind a major new campaign highlighting the scale of air pollution affecting children across the UK. New analysis shows 87% of Britain's schools are located in areas with toxic air that breaches World Health Organisation guidelines.

Building on the momentum of England's women's football success, the Health Equals coalition has released data showing that more than 25,000 schools across England, Scotland and Wales are situated in neighbourhoods that breach World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines. The analysis found that 850,000 children are exposed to air pollution levels more than double the WHO recommended limits.

Athletic Voices Raise Concerns

Paula Radcliffe OBE, three-time London Marathon winner and former UN Environment Advocate for Clean Air, said she was supporting the campaign "because no child should grow up breathing unsafe air."

"As an athlete and a mum, I know how vital clean air is for healthy lungs and a healthy life," Radcliffe commented. "But right now, 12 million children in the UK are growing up in areas with toxic air — and it's worse in lower-income and ethnic minority communities."

Nicola Adams OBE emphasised the connection between clean air and performance, stating: "As an athlete, clean air wasn't just important — it was essential. You train hard, eat right, do everything to be at your best, so the air you breathe should also be safe."

Now a parent herself, Adams expressed concern about the risks to her son: "I worry that my son may struggle with breathing issues, and it's heartbreaking to think that whilst simply attending school, he's at risk."

The Connection to Sport

The campaign emphasises that clean air is particularly important for athletes and anyone exercising outdoors, as physical activity increases the amount of air — and therefore pollutants — taken into the lungs.

Health Equals, a coalition of 85 organisations including Mind, the British Red Cross, Legal and General, the Local Government Association, Citizens Advice, and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, is calling for a cross-government strategy that prioritises action on what they term the "essential building blocks of health."

The Royal College of Physicians has warned that air pollution "affects almost every organ in the human body" and is estimated to contribute to the equivalent of 30,000 deaths in the UK in 2025, costing more than £27 billion annually.

Stark Statistics

The Health Equals analysis, which examined data across Britain, revealed:

• WHO air quality guidelines were breached in over 35,000 neighbourhoods (84% of areas surveyed)
• 12 million children (90%) live in neighbourhoods where pollution exceeded WHO guidelines
• Air pollution disproportionately impacts deprived areas and neighbourhoods with higher ethnic minority populations

According to a recent report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, air pollution is now the second leading risk factor for death in children under five in the UK.

Health Inequality Focus

The campaign is part of Health Equals' broader "Make Health Equal" initiative, which highlights how toxic air, alongside issues including poor income, unstable jobs and unsafe homes, contributes to a 16-year gap in life expectancy across the UK.

The Make Health Equal campaign is calling for immediate government action to address air pollution and other health inequalities. More information is available at www.healthequals.org.uk