Today, Leading the Movement turns one!
Over the past 12 months the programme has become a thriving community of people committed to tackling inequalities in sport and physical activity by supporting leaders at every level to take action and drive change.
Leading the Movement is built on a simple belief – that leadership isn’t defined by anyone’s job title or seniority, but by people stepping up, working together and creating opportunities to make a difference.
Funded by the National Lottery through to 2029, the programme brings together previous leadership training and includes coaching and mentoring, place-based support, events and webinars.
It's an evolving offer to help meet leaders wherever they are in their journey.
The past year has flown by, but it's also seen us achieve some important milestones and we want to recognise all the people, organisations and partners who've driven this forward.
Some key achievements include:
But the real impact goes beyond the numbers – it’s how leaders across the sector are starting to build confidence, expand their networks and develop the skills needed to tackle complex challenges.
The programme is built on a simple belief – that leadership isn’t defined by anyone’s job title or seniority, but by people stepping up, working together and creating opportunities to make a difference.
We know strong local leadership is critical to addressing inequalities and physical inactivity.
Through the Place-based Leadership component of Leading the Movement, we’re working to support leaders with the skills, confidence and system-level insight to drive change in their communities.
Facilitated by a range of expert practitioners, these in-person, two-day workshops bring together local leaders from across the public, voluntary and private sectors, creating space to step back, connect and think about ways to work differently across systems.
Some of the results we’re starting to see from these sessions include:
But just as important as these results is how this learning happens, because these aren’t just programmes where people sit and listen – they’re active and practical sessions designed to get people thinking, moving and engaging with each other.
Whether that’s through real-world scenarios, group problem-solving or time spent out in the place, the focus is on learning by doing.
That energy and openness creates space for honest conversations, new perspectives and stronger connections – all of which are key when tackling something as complex as physical inactivity.
A key principle of Leading the Movement is collaboration, with leaders helping to shape every part of the offer.
From co-designing and mentoring, to sharing stories and insights, this collective input is helping to create support that’s practical, relevant and grounded in the realities of the sector.
This is because, ultimately, Leading the Movement isn’t something we want to deliver to leaders – it’s something we create with them.
Over the next year of Leading the Movement, our focus is on continuing to support and grow leadership across the sector by:
If you’ve been part of Leading the Movement this year – thank you!
If not, there’s never been a better time to get involved and remember, whether you’re leading a team, a project, or simply bringing people together to make change happen, you’re a leader.
So if you’re interested, a great first step is exploring our offer, attending one of our webinars, joining the Leadership Community, or just dropping us a message to have a chat.
If you’re working to reduce inequalities in sport and physical activity, or supporting those who do, you’re already part of this movement, and we’d love to work with you as we grow and support the leaders driving change, now and for the future.