Freestyle football stars will use their skills to teach maths online

YouTube stars will host The Number Game on Twinkl

F2 stars Jeremy Lynch and Billy Wingrove will host a new maths show online for primary school children (Santander/SWNS)

The world’s most popular football freestylers are planning to use their skills to teach maths to children during lockdown.

Jeremy Lynch and Billy Wingrove, whose YouTube channel F2 Freestylers has more than 12 million subscribers, plan to boost numeracy and physical activity among primary school children who are unable to attend class.

The daily videos, which will start on Monday, will use their football skills to provide some light relief during temporary school closures, while teaching children key number skills.

The pair, acting as ambassadors for Santander UK, have partnered with Twinkl to host The Numbers Game, with the learning resources designed to be in line with UK curriculums.

To launch the free series, Mr Lynch and Mr Wingrove showed off their football skills while adhering to the government’s guidelines on social distancing.

Mr Lynch said: “We’re excited to be a part of this campaign with Santander and Twinkl.

“Being active is so important for our health and using football to keep moving whilst building maths skills is a great way to combine learning with the beautiful game.

“We hope children will be inspired to pick up a ball, stay fit and keep their number skills on top form.“

The Numbers Game platform was developed by Santander last year as a educational, football-themed roadshow which toured around the UK and was aimed at helping people to enjoy and feel more comfortable working with numbers.

Running from 18-22 May with a second series coming on 1 June, the latest campaign is underpinned by evidence published in BMC Medicine that suggests using breaks to do ‘self-paced’ physical activity may improve children’s wellbeing and cognitive performance when compared with children who were not active during breaks.

Each week of challenges will focus on a different theme - the first two weeks of which are times tables and time, the two most searched maths themes on Twinkl’s website.

A special challenge will be set at the end of each week where participants will be awarded certificates.

Susan Allen, CEO retail and business banking at Santander UK, said: “The Numbers Game, originally developed in conjunction with our charity partner National Numeracy as a roadshow, has been a real success since it launched last year, already helping tens of thousands of people build their confidence in maths through football."

To support the Numbers Game campaign, the F2 Freestylers will also be hosting two live maths-themed football skills shows on YouTube.

The Numbers Game will go live on Twinkl on Monday.

SWNS