DOZENS of schools across Dorset are now taking part in a national scheme which encourages pupils to run a mile each day.

County health officials have described its work to roll-out the national Daily Mile scheme as a “big success” with it improving mental, as well as physical, wellbeing.

Public Health Dorset now funds a GP for one day a week to promote the campaign and liaise with headteachers about the benefits of the signing up.

More than 3,600 schools across England participate in the Daily Mile which encourages schoolchildren to take part in a 15-minute run each day.

Last month, Sport England announced it would be giving £1.5 million of National Lottery funding to support the national organisation behind the scheme.

In Dorset, six primary schools have been awarded funding for their own projects by Public Health Dorset through its 'Whole School Approach' programme which gives grants to schools to improve their pupils' health and wellbeing.

The organisation, which is responsible for improving health across the county, has also seconded a GP for one day a week to oversee its Daily Mile work.

Speaking at Monday’s meeting of the joint public health board, its acting director of public health, Sam Crowe, said that he had not expected it to prove so popular.

“The Daily Mile has been a big success,” he said. “I never knew how that was going to take off the way it has when we first started.”

He added that 36 schools across Dorset were now participating in the scheme and that work was continuing to encourage more to join up.