Designing Active Futures: A Week of Purpose, Progress, and People

Our Co-Director, Paul Griffiths, opened the week with a powerful welcome and a video that celebrated Aspire’s journey shining a spotlight on the progress we’ve made and the people driving it forward. We took time to revisit our vision, mission, and values, aligning around a shared purpose and setting a clear course for the week ahead. A high energy team bingo icebreaker got everyone moving, laughing, and connecting before we submitted our nominations for this year’s Wow Factor awards.

The morning then moved into powerful updates and insights:

• Andrew Stanton, Quality and Education Manager, shared exciting progress from Bikeability and Swim:ED.
  
  
• Steph Donovan, Programme and Content Lead, celebrated highlights from our Active Camps, showing the incredible reach and impact over the summer.
  
  
• James Trowman, Co-Director, provided updates on training solutions and setting up the next generation for a better future.
  
  
• Luke Johnson, Active Partnerships Manager, highlighted the dedication of our national partners, whose local expertise and passion continue to bring Aspire’s programmes to life in communities across the country.

The afternoon focused on shaping Aspire’s future. Paul introduced the session, “Designing the Next Chapter”, where we worked in teams to co-create ideas for Aspire’s evolving vision. This collaborative session sparked real energy, innovation, and ownership.

We closed the day with insights from Oli Burton, Business Development Executive, on our current and new school partnerships, followed by team updates and awards to recognise the standout contributions across the organisation.

It was a strong first step into the week, honest conversations, meaningful insights, and a powerful sense of direction.