Should I include hobbies in my personal statement?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. You should however only include hobbies (and work experience etc) if you can clearly link it to your chosen subject. Simply stating that you play football or play the violin won't help your application and might in fact hinder your chances of getting into your prefered university. Throughout your personal statement, you need to constantly link everything you say back to your field of study. For instance, if you're applying for Medicine and play the violin, explain how maths and music are closely related and how learning a musical instrument required patience, dedication, an excellent attention to detail and showed your ability to stick to a long-term commitment.