Like in life, any career has ups and downs, ebbs and flows. This week was one of the highs.
It has been one of the privileges of my career to work with Olympic legend and Sport England Chair Chris Boardman CBE, culminating last week in winning the Environmental Sustainability Award at the Sport Industry Awards.
Anyone who works in sport will know this one is a big deal, no disrespect to the multitude of corporate back-slapping ceremonies.
It has been an incredible team effort, across the organisation and in my own team.
From co-authoring our Every Move strategy with our environmental sustainability lead Denise Ludlam, to the high-impact and agenda-setting campaign activations to mobilise our sector.
For those who haven't read it, Every Move is the most ambitious strategy ever to encourage the sports sector to play its part in driving the net zero transition, backed up by £100 million of investment.
We must all support Keir Starmer and Ed Miliband's clean energy and carbon-cutting mission.
This included the Pedal for Paris activation – which generated huge media interest and sports industry engagement – and which was showcased at COP29 in the British pavilion.
Even now, there are still those who still question: how is this core to Sport England’s work?
It is not in any way a stupid question, but I hope this week is a vindication that our answer stacks up.
Firstly, climate change is one of the biggest barriers to sports participation. More than 60% of people in the last year have had participation in activity cancelled due to extreme weather, many of them kids.
Every Move is the most ambitious strategy ever to encourage the sports sector to play its part in driving the net zero transition, backed up £100 million of investment.
Tackling climate change and maintaining the health benefits of sport are two sides of the same coin, not mutually exclusive.
And don’t let anyone tell you it’s pointless doing anything in England as ultimately it’s all about China and India.
Our investment does make a direct difference, whether it’s simple adaptation – like planting trees around sport pitches to reduce the impact of flooding and getting people back playing more quickly – or reducing energy costs of councils, which can be reinvested in sports, by upgrading swimming pools through new technologies.
Secondly, our royal charter explicitly sets out Sport England’s duty to promote the ethical practice of sport and physical activity.
It’s a core part of our remit and environmental sustainability and net zero are at the heart of most ethical organisational frameworks, including the UN’s sustainable development goals.
Thirdly and finally, sport has a unique global megaphone to reach, mobilise and galvanise people.
With an estimated three billion fans worldwide – roughly a third of the global population – the sports sector is a direct and practical mouthpiece to communicate climate and energy issues to large and diverse audiences.
And Sport England has the power to be the nation’s biggest convener – from the more than 130 system partners, including the national governing bodies of sport to our precious grassroots community system, where 17.2m or more than 35% of the population are members. Why wouldn’t we use this voice and network to tackle the biggest challenge facing the planet?
We still have a lot of work to do, but it was a proud moment to beat such strong competition in the likes of Formula E, the International Olympic Committee, Sail GP, the MCC and Wembley Stadium.
Thanks to the Sport Industry Awards for their recognition that we are on the right track and thanks to so many of you who have made a difference at Sport England.
Thanks to Tim Hollingsworth, our CEO, for championing this work and speaking eloquently at the ceremony. Invariably we are doing this on the side of the desk on top of our wider work, because we believe it matters.
Winning awards shouldn’t be why we do this work, but it can give us confidence, pride and energy to help us go faster.
Now for accelerating our work on the journey.