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The Conveners Podcast

Future Fit are delighted to support 'The Conveners' podcast, which focuses on collaborative strategies aimed at enhancing public health outcomes

We are proud to be supporting The Conveners’ podcast, shedding light on collaborative approaches in the leisure sector to improve public health. Led by industry champion, Chair of GM Active, and Director of Miova, Andy King, the series delves into how the leisure sector is working with health and social care across the UK, and the ways in which it can contribute further to reducing health inequalities.

The Conveners Podcast

Each week, the podcast will feature thought-provoking discussions with industry expert guest presenters, offering diverse perspectives from both within and outside the sector. The Conveners podcast embodies the collaboration required to advance the ‘pivot to active wellbeing’ and the importance of fostering cross-sector partnerships to address pressing health challenges.

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Our sector can be the driving force behind a new ‘national wellness service’ that serves to focus on the power of physical activity to help address multiple health needs, particularly for those that are often left behind in this unequal society we live in. By inviting guests from diverse backgrounds, we aim to foster a culture of innovation that propels us towards a healthier, more equitable future.
Andy King

Episode 29 - Warren Smyth

Episode 29 - Warren Smyth Warren Smyth the chief exec of Abbeycroft Leisure, joins Andy this week. Warren has been blazing a trail for well over a decade now with Abbeycroft leisure working with health. He really has a brilliant way of bringing people together, to collaborate effectively and work on that common purpose that is often spoken about. Warren clearly knows how to create the conditions for success, how to utilise his assets including his people wonderfully well and in many ways the team at Abbeycroft has created a template for the sector as we seek to work effectively with health, address inequalities and make a dent in population health outcomes.

Episode 28 - Helen Jaggar

Episode 28 - Helen Jaggar This week Andy is joined by Helen Jaggar, a wellness consultant and WELL accredited practitioner, who has a fascinating backstory. Helen has created her company, Thriveologie, that is arguably about to take off massively, as the explosion of interest in offering additional services other than Fitness to customers based around well-being and wellness is all around us . Helen has been connected to our sector for some years on and off and also spent time in related fields that gives her a good grounding in offering complementary services.

Episode 27 - Dr Coral Hanson

Episode 27 - Dr Coral Hanson On this weeks episode, Andy sits down with Dr. Coral Hanson to discuss insights from the Scottish Activity Referral Standards study, which she’s been leading. Following a knowledge exchange event at Edinburgh Napier University, they dive into how these standards are enhancing Physical Activity Referral Schemes (PARS) across Scotland, backed by Public Health Scotland and the Scottish Government. With years of experience working on referral schemes, Coral shares fascinating findings on best practices, effective collaborations, and the powerful ways these standards are boosting physical activity in Scotland. Can the rest of the UK learn from Scotland’s approach to improving health and social care?

Episode 26 - Ben Wilkins

Episode 26 - Ben Wilkins Ben Wilkins from Good Boost is this weeks guest on the Conveners Podcast! Ben and Andy cover a variety of topics, including the award-winning Good Boost and the lessons that Ben and his company have learnt integrating a brand-new service into the sector, including the conditions that lead to the best chance of success. The pair also discuss the Darzi report, the MSK hubs and the work Ben has been doing with UK Active and Escape Pain and a lot more!

Episode 25 - GM Active Panel Talk

Episode 25 - GM Active Panel Talk This week Andy is joined by John Oxley, Chief Executive Officer at Life Leisure, Pete Burt, Chair of Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles’ Board of Trustees, and Jon Keating, Head of Business Operations at GM Active CIC. The panel unpack ground breaking data on workforce development and the future of health integration. Backed by a significant study in Greater Manchester, they delve into the wellbeing outcomes of physical activity programs and their potential to reshape health and care pathways. Discover how we're using evidence-based approaches to measure economic impact and the social benefits, like reduced loneliness, through exercise referral systems.

Episode 24 - David Stalker

Episode 24 - David Stalker In this episode, Andy is joined by industry legend David Stalker, whose passion for the health and fitness sector is truly infectious. David's leadership and ability to bring people together for a common purpose is nothing short of inspiring. The pair dive into how David is driving collaboration in health and wellbeing, and his sense of purpose will leave you motivated to keep pushing forward in our mission.

Episode 23 - Malcolm McPhail

Episode 23 - Malcolm McPhail Andy welcomes Malcolm McPhail this week. Malcolm is a true leader in integrating physical activity with health and social care in North Ayrshire and setting an inspiring example by taking a whole systems approach to tackle the complex challenges Scotland faces today. He discusses how the Council is bringing partners together in a unique collaboration that not only improves well-being but also offers a blueprint for others. His work highlights the crucial role of leisure operators in leading this charge—driving positive change that could influence other regions.

Episode 22 - Adrian Leather

Episode 22 - Adrian Leather Joining Andy this week is Adrian Leather, CEO of Active Lancashire. Adrian is a leader whose influence extends far beyond Lancashire, advocating for using physical activity to tackle societal issues, including health inequalities. He shares why he believes physical activity is key to addressing mental and physical health disparities, supporting the NHS, and helping people return to work. It’s an inspiring conversation with a visionary leader making a real impact.

Episode 21 - Sarah Le Brocq

Episode 21 - Sarah Le Brocq Andy's guest this week is Sarah Le Brocq, a passionate advocate for reducing weight stigma and raising awareness about obesity. Sarah serves on several key health committees, including the Royal College of Physicians Advisory Group on Weight & Health, and has shared her personal story of managing weight, including her experience with new weight loss drugs, GLP-1s. They explore her inspiring journey, the complexities of obesity, and discuss the need to shift our approach from treating obesity as an acute condition to recognising it as a chronic disease. A thought-provoking conversation with important insights for the fitness sector.

Episode 20 - Craig Blain

Episode 20 - Craig Blain Andy welcomes Craig Blain from Move Consulting to the Conveners podcast. Craig is leading on what could genuinely be termed one of the most important projects in our sector’s history, and there’s an urgent 'call to action' for everyone who listens to support it. Tune in to hear Craig’s inspiring backstory, including his physical challenge he is undertaking for a deeply personal cause. and learn how you can get involved in this ground-breaking project for the Active Partnerships network.

Episode 19 - Izabella Natrins

Episode 19 - Izabella Natrins Izabella Natrins, CEO of the UK and International Health Coaching Association joins Andy and Lily on this weeks episode. As an international speaker, author, and chef, Izabella is leading the charge to establish UKIHCA as the gold standard for health coaching worldwide, highlighting the transformative role of health coaches in both personal health and healthcare systems. Explore how our sector’s shift towards health and social care can benefit from collaboration with health coaches, the potential for upskilling our workforce, and the opportunities for deeper partnerships to enhance our credibility with health professionals.

Episode 18 - Professor Rob Copeland

Episode 18 - Professor Rob Copeland On this episode, Andy and Elaine are joined by Professor Rob Copeland, Director of the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre and former Director of the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine in Sheffield. They explore Rob's mission to improve national health through physical activity, the legacy of the 2012 Olympics in Sheffield, and how systems thinking is shaping his work. As they dive into Sheffield’s ground-breaking approach, there’s much our sector can learn to advance our own ‘Active Wellbeing’ initiatives.

Episode 17 - Karen Creavin

Episode 17 - Karen Creavin This weeks guest on the Conveners is Karen Creavin, CEO of the Active Well-being Society in Birmingham and a key figure in Sport England's Place-based programmes. While there's much talk about addressing inequalities in our sector, Karen’s leadership at the Active Well-being Society shows real action and impact. It is very clear that Karen‘s personal passion for challenging the way society consistently fails those that need support most influences the organisation and its success over the years.

Episode 16 - Lisa Dodd Mayne

Episode 16 - Lisa Dodd Mayne Andy and Lily are joined by Lisa Dodd Mayne, Sport England's Executive Director of Place. Lisa shares insights into her journey, overcoming early career challenges, and the values that continue to drive her work. They discuss Sport England's "Uniting the Movement" strategy, the Future of Public Leisure report, and why investment is focused on areas of greatest need. Lisa also highlights the importance of workforce development and the potential impact of the new CLOA report advocating for an Active Well-being Service.

Episode 15 - Lisa Rickers

Episode 15 - Lisa Rickers In this episode Andy and guest host Lily Thomas (Marketing Manager, Future Fit) are joined by Lisa Rickers, a former NHS nurse with 20 years of experience in bariatric metabolic surgery and the Founder and CEO of Ultra-Biomics. Lisa's mission is to improve the metabolic health of 1 billion adults, and she also coaches using the Hintsa 'Circle of Life' model, popular in F1 teams and Fortune 500 companies. Lisa shares her insights on the latest weight loss drugs (GLP-1s) and discusses their potential benefits, challenges, and the broader impact they may have on weight loss and healthcare.

Episode 14 - Richard Caborn

Episode 14 - Richard Caborn Andy is joined by our very own Elaine Briggs, as they meet a key figure in politics and sports, Richard Caborn. Richard was instrumental in bringing the 2012 Olympics to London. As the UK Minister of Sport from 2001 to 2007, his persistence was crucial. He'll share insights on the 2012 Olympics, the celebrities he persuaded to support the bid, and the lasting impact on Sheffield. Richard also discusses the legacy of the Olympics, the value of such events, their impact on participation, and leadership qualities essential for managing a £9.3 billion project despite widespread skepticism. His humility, despite his achievements, is remarkable.

Episode 13 - Dr. Tim Anstiss

Episode 13 - Dr. Tim Anstiss Andy and Liz are joined by Dr. Tim Anstiss, a long-time advocate for collaboration between the leisure, physical activity, and health sectors. As a qualified doctor and experienced health coach, Tim specialises in integrated health and well-being coaching, incorporating motivational interviewing, health coaching, CBT, acceptance and commitment therapy, and positive psychology. Tim has supported NHS trusts, local authorities, and health charities, making him well-suited to help bridge the gap between the physical activity sector and health.

Episode 12 - William Roberts

Episode 12 - William Roberts Andy and Liz chat to William Roberts, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Public Health. They explore RSPH's involvement in workforce development and their paper, "The Unusual Suspects: Unlocking the Potential of the Wider Public Health Workforce." And discuss the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on health and how our sector can respond, particularly regarding the impact on customers and those not currently being attracted. William's leadership qualities, emphasised by Sport England and Active Partnerships, highlight the importance of cross-system collaboration.

Episode 11 - Davina Deniszczyc

Episode 11 - Davina Deniszczyc Andy is joined by industry guru Liz Terry from Health Club Management Magazine, as the pair chat to the impressive Davina Deniszczyc. Davina is a GP, as well as being a clinical and charity lead for Nuffield Health. This discussion centres around incredible insights into Nuffield's mission and the powerful programs they are delivering, often for free across communities. Nuffield have created a blueprint of so many ways that we can all learn from, and it's great they're willing to share. Davina does an amazing job of telling us all about this.

Episode 10 - Lisa Trickett

Episode 10 - Lisa Trickett Andy and John have an engaging conversation with Lisa Trickett, a prominent politician from Birmingham and former chair of the Active Well-being Society. Lisa highlighted the society's effective community engagement under her leadership, including the successful bike giveaway scheme. She emphasised the need for systemic change and her involvement in environmental issues within the national Labour party, particularly in active travel. Lisa advocates for physical activity to address health inequalities and supports our sector's role in preventive health programs.

Episode 9 - Dr. Hussain Al-Zubaidi

Episode 9 - Dr. Hussain Al-Zubaidi Andy and John had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Hussain Al Zubaidi - a TV Doctor, Royal College of GPs physical activity champion, triathlete, Parkrun health lead, and Swim England medical advisor, who also practices as a GP one day a week. Hussain shared his personal health journey and how physical activity transformed his life. He leads GPs in utilising physical activity to enhance lives and discusses effective partnerships between leisure operators and GPs. His insights on the sector's alignment with health are enlightening.

Episode 8 - Sarah Haden-Godwin

Episode 8 - Sarah Haden-Godwin In this episode Andy and John are joined by Sarah Haden-Godwin from Active Gloucestershire. Now Director of People and Partnerships at Active Partnerships, Sarah recently became a Churchill Fellowship Fellow. Her fellowship involved studying systems thinking in Australia, inspiring her paper ‘Translating systems thinking into practice to get communities physically active’. Sarah discusses key insights from her research, timely as Sport England invests £250m in Places and Whole Systems thinking. With her deep sector knowledge, Sarah offers compelling thoughts on community activation

Episode 7 - Waseem Zaffar MBE

Episode 7 - Waseem Zaffar MBE Andy and John are joined by Birmingham councillor Waseem Zafar. Formerly on the board of the Active Well-being Society, Waseem addresses health inequalities and community engagement. He founded the Clean Air Society and explains "clean air apartheid," highlighting systemic changes needed for fairness. An MBE recipient for voluntary service and an 8-year NED at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, Waseem draws on diverse experiences. His passion and purpose in tackling health inequalities are incredibly inspiring.

Episode 6 - Kirsty Rowlinson-Groves

Episode 6 - Kirsty Rowlinson-Groves Kirsty Rowlinson-Groves joins Andy on the Conveners podcast. Previously, the GM Active prehab for Cancer lead and driving force behind its award-winning delivery, Kirsty shares how her personal story motivated her to fight cancer and help people daily. Now with 10GM in the voluntary sector, she offers an honest and constructive perspective on improving collaboration with health and other sectors. She emphasizes the need to engage a broader audience and avoid insular discussions within the sector.

Episode 5 - Beth Brown

Episode 5 - Beth Brown John and Andy welcome Beth Brown, Operations Manager at the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine. Previously, Beth led the Macmillan cancer program, engaged in social prescribing, and contributed to GLL’s health programs. She shared insights from her Churchill Fellowship in the USA and Canada, studying physical activity in cancer care. We discussed co-location, integration of services, and the role of physical activity in supporting the NHS. Beth's experiences offered powerful lessons on improving national health through exercise.

Episode 4 - Zoe Merchant

Episode 4 - Zoe Merchant Zoe Merchant joins Andy and John this week. Zoe is currently managing the lung cancer screening programme across Greater Manchester and a key driver of the GM Active GM cancer award winning prehab for cancer programme. A fascinating insight into not only this programme from a perspective not heard before, but also a wider examination of Zoe's thoughts on how leisure and health can work together more effectively in the future.

Episode 3 - Mark Tweedie

Episode 3 - Mark Tweedie Andy and John welcome Mark Tweedie. Currently the chief executive of Brimhams Active in Harrogate and often referred to by those in the know as the architect or God father of pivot to active well -being as a result of his work at Active Tameside. Mark outlines his journey to date through sports development initially, through to his ground breaking work with Active Tameside and how he successfully developed the template for how to work with health and social care in different guises ever since.

Episode 2 - Michelle Childs

Episode 2 - Michelle Childs Andy welcomes Michelle Childs, health lead at Life Leisure in Stockport and GM Active. In this episode Michelle dispels myths about health work across Greater Manchester and stresses the importance of demonstrating impact. She discusses GM Active's academic partnership to understand clinical pathways and support the NHS. Michelle highlights the benefits of a less clinical approach and the positives of funding programs despite current narratives. She also addresses society's failings in supporting children and young people.

Episode 1 - Ken Masser

Episode 1 - Ken Masser Andy and John welcome Ken Masser from Miova, a company he founded in 2023. Ken also leads the Together and Active Future (TAF) in the Lancashire Pennines. Formerly a KPMG consultant and CEO of Rossendale Leisure, Ken has been involved in Sport England's £250 million investment programme for place-based initiatives. Today, Ken shares insights into this work and why he is angry about the unfairness in the world.

The Conveners Podcast is Making Headlines

The Conveners Podcast is highlighting important conversations within the health and wellbeing industry, and it’s making waves. The podcast has been featured in Sports Magazine, reflecting on the podcast and the overall aim, to shine an essential spotlight on some of the work going on in the industry right now.

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