INEOS and The Daily Mile Foundation Celebrate 10-Year Partnership as Children’s Activity Programme Reaches 5.5 Million Participants Worldwide

INEOS and The Daily Mile Foundation Celebrate 10-Year Partnership as Children’s Activity Programme Reaches 5.5 Million Participants Worldwide

(IN BRIEF) INEOS and The Daily Mile Foundation are celebrating 10 years of partnership, during which The Daily Mile has grown from a simple classroom idea in Stirling, Scotland, into a global children’s health and wellbeing movement reaching more than 5.5 million children across 22,000 schools in 100 countries. The programme was created in 2012 by Elaine Wyllie MBE, who introduced 15 minutes of daily outdoor movement for pupils after observing declining fitness levels among children. INEOS became Lead Partner in 2016 and funded the creation of The Daily Mile Foundation, providing the resources and expertise needed to expand the initiative internationally. The programme requires no special equipment, no cost and no competition, allowing children to run, walk or wheel at their own pace. Each session provides a quarter of children’s recommended daily activity, while teachers report calmer and happier pupils who are more ready to learn. Third-party research has also linked the initiative to fitness gains of up to 9%. The Daily Mile Foundation now aims to bring 15 minutes of daily movement to every school and early years setting, supported by a growing network of local partners.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 8-Jun-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — INEOS and The Daily Mile Foundation are celebrating a decade of partnership, marking 10 years of collaboration that has helped transform a simple school-based fitness idea into an international children’s health and wellbeing movement.

The Daily Mile now reaches more than 5.5 million children across 22,000 schools in 100 countries, supported by more than 130 local partnerships. The programme encourages children to run, walk or wheel outdoors for 15 minutes each day, with no special equipment, no cost and no competitive element.

The initiative began in 2012 in Stirling, Scotland, when Elaine Wyllie MBE, then a headteacher, introduced a daily outdoor activity session after noticing a decline in pupils’ fitness. Her aim was to create something simple and inclusive that every child could take part in, regardless of ability or background. The idea quickly expanded to around 100 schools, but at that stage it had no formal campaign or central support structure.

The programme entered a new phase in 2016, when INEOS became Lead Partner and funded the creation of The Daily Mile Foundation in London. Since then, INEOS has provided funding and expertise to help scale The Daily Mile from a local initiative into a widely adopted part of the school day in countries around the world.

Each 15-minute Daily Mile session provides children with a quarter of their recommended daily physical activity. Teachers have reported that pupils often return to class calmer, happier and more prepared to learn. Third-party research has also linked the programme to fitness improvements of up to 9%.

Elaine Wyllie MBE, Founder and Trustee of The Daily Mile Foundation, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Founder and Chairman of INEOS, recently reflected on the partnership and the programme’s development over the past decade.

Elaine Wyllie MBE said the growth of The Daily Mile has been remarkable not only in scale, but also in the quality of adoption by schools. She emphasized that the programme belongs to children, allowing them to move at their own pace while removing barriers that often prevent participation in physical activity. She also said INEOS’ support is expected to have a lasting impact on children’s future health, while expressing hope that The Daily Mile remains simple and child-centered.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe said he was drawn to the idea because it combined daily fitness with helping children improve their physical health. He noted that early childhood is a highly formative period and that encouraging regular exercise at a young age can help make physical activity a lifelong habit.

The Daily Mile Foundation is now focused on expanding the programme further, with the ambition that every school and early years setting should offer 15 minutes of daily movement for every child. The charity will continue building its network of local partners to reach more schools and support long-term participation.

Through the continued partnership between INEOS and The Daily Mile Foundation, the programme aims to keep promoting accessible, inclusive and sustainable physical activity as part of everyday school life, helping children improve their fitness, wellbeing and readiness to learn.

Media Contact:

INEOS PR |  +44 (0) 207 193 9030 | ineos@firstlightgroup.io
Richard Longden | INEOS | +41 79 962 61 23 | richard.longden@ineos.com

SOURCE: INEOS