Ten years ago, Aspire Active Partnerships began with a simple belief: tackling physical inactivity starts by giving children more chances to move, learn and feel good about what they can do.
That belief brought people together.
Schools, business owners, coaches, educators and community organisations all saw the same challenge. Too many children were missing out on the confidence, wellbeing and joy that can come from being active.
No one could solve that alone.
So the partnership was built around working together, sharing ideas and creating more opportunities for children and young people to enjoy movement in everyday school life.
Ten years later, that belief has grown into a UK-wide network of partners helping children become more active, more confident and more connected to learning.
From PE Curriculum Support and active learning programmes to Swim:ED, leadership development and national campaigns, the past decade has shown what can happen when people come together and keep children at the heart of the work.
Aspire Active Partnerships began in 2016 with the launch of PE Curriculum Support across the UK.
From the start, the partnership was built on a simple understanding: physical inactivity could not be solved by one organisation alone.
It needed schools, communities, business owners, coaches and educators working together.
It needed people willing to share ideas, learn from one another and try new approaches.
And it needed a shared belief that movement is about more than sport. It supports confidence, wellbeing, health, learning and opportunity.
Will Atterbury has been involved in the network from the start and describes the network as:
“It’s great to be part of an innovative and progressive network of like-minded organisations, taking on some of the most important challenges in society today around health and wellbeing.”
That spirit has shaped the network ever since.
In 2017 and 2018, we launched Maths on the Move across the UK.
This was a major step forward for our active learning approach. By combining physical activity with classroom learning, Maths on the Move gave schools a fresh way to support numeracy, confidence and engagement.
In classrooms, halls and playgrounds, pupils were solving problems on their feet, working together and seeing maths in a different way.
For many schools, it changed how they thought about both physical activity and academic progress. It showed that children do not always need to sit still to learn well.
In early 2020, Covid-19 still felt like something happening in the distance.
There were conversations, concerns and early plans, but none of us could have fully understood how much life, work, schools and communities were about to change.
Then, almost overnight, everything shifted.
Calls replaced meetings. Plans were rewritten. Schools were forced to adapt quickly. Families were trying to keep children active and learning at home. Business owners were dealing with uncertainty.
It became one of the most challenging periods in Aspire’s history, but it also showed the strength of the network.
We focused on staying connected, supporting one another and finding practical ways to keep the work moving. Regular conversations with our team, partners and customers became more important than ever.
During this time, we supported small and medium-sized businesses with guidance, connection and encouragement when it was needed most.
We also created online Maths on the Move videos for schools and families, helping children stay active and engaged with learning while normal routines were disrupted.
It was not easy. Plans changed quickly. People were under pressure. But the purpose behind the work stayed the same.
Covid tested Aspire in ways we could never have predicted, and strengthened our belief in partnership, resilience and the importance of helping children keep moving.
In 2021, we launched the Accelerate programme.
Accelerate was created to support organisations, leaders and partners who wanted to grow their work in a sustainable way.
It reflected something we believe strongly: meaningful change happens when people feel equipped, encouraged and connected.
By investing in development, leadership and shared learning, Accelerate helped strengthen the wider network of organisations working towards a more active future.
It gave partners the support to think bigger, act with confidence and build stronger local programmes in their own communities.
In 2022, we expanded our active learning approach with the UK-wide launch of English on the Move.
Following the success of Maths on the Move, the programme brought the same energy and creativity to literacy.
It reinforced a simple idea: children do not need to sit still to learn well.
For many pupils, movement can help unlock confidence, focus and enjoyment. It can make tricky concepts feel more manageable and help children engage with learning in a way that feels active, inclusive and fun.
English on the Move continued our commitment to making learning more accessible and memorable for every child.
By 2023, Aspire Active Partnerships reached a milestone we are deeply proud of: 400,000 children and young people engaged in physical activity.
Behind that number are real children, real schools and real moments.
Children gaining confidence in PE. Teachers finding new ways to bring learning to life. Schools supporting wellbeing through movement. Partners growing their reach in local communities. Young people discovering that being active is not just for the sporty ones.
In the same year, we also launched Swim:ED UK-wide, expanding our work into aquatic education and helping more young people develop vital life skills through swimming and water safety.
This was another important step in our journey, helping children build confidence, competence and safety in the water.
The work continued to grow in 2024 and 2025.
In 2024, we partnered with Team GB and ParalympicsGB to launch Road 2 Paris, an Olympic-themed movement programme designed to inspire children and young people through the excitement of the Paris Games.
The programme brought together elite sport, inclusive physical activity and school-based engagement.
For many pupils, it gave them a way to see movement not just as competition, but as teamwork, pride and possibility.
Through 20 Pools in 20 Days, we also continued to shine a light on the importance of swimming, water confidence and access to high-quality aquatic education.
Swim:ED’s work reached beyond the UK too, with the programme presented at the World Drowning Prevention Conference in Egypt.
That moment showed how far the work had come. What started as a UK-wide mission became part of a wider global conversation about physical activity, education and opportunity.
As we mark 10 years of Aspire Active Partnerships, we do so with pride, gratitude and a clear focus on the future.
This anniversary is a chance to celebrate what has been achieved over the past decade and, most importantly, recognise the people who made it possible.
Our partners, schools, business owners, organisations, educators, coaches, families and communities have all played a part in bringing the mission to life.
The value of the network has always gone beyond programmes and resources. For many business leaders, it has provided direction, reassurance and a trusted space to learn from others.
At the recent partner conference, Owen Wedgwood from Activ8 reflected on the value of being part of the network:
“Being able to connect with other businesses in a non-competitive space is huge. You can share ideas, share good practice and share the headaches too. You realise you’re not facing them on your own.”
He also spoke about how the network has supported Activ8’s growth:
“Before joining the network, we knew we were doing the right thing and wanted to grow, but we wanted to do it sustainably and understand the right direction to take. Joining the network opened our eyes to different opportunities and helped us move ahead sooner than we would have done on our own.”
Kyle Dench from ACES also shared his experience at the recent partner conference:
“Before joining the network, one of the main challenges was collaboration and having a support network. It could feel like you were working in isolation, or even against other organisations. Joining the network helped us feel supported and gave us the chance to collaborate and work together.”
He added:
“I would definitely recommend the network to other business leaders. Before joining, this space could feel a little bit isolating. When you join, you feel real support around you. It almost feels like a cuddle.”
That final line captures something important.
Partnership is not just about strategy, programmes or growth plans. It is about people feeling less alone. It is about having a place to share ideas, admit challenges, ask questions and keep moving forward.
And when those organisations grow stronger, more children and young people benefit.
While 10 years is worth celebrating, the work is far from finished.
Schools still need support. Young people still need opportunities. Organisations still need to collaborate. And physical inactivity remains one of the biggest challenges facing children, families and communities.
The story of Aspire Active Partnerships has always been bigger than any single programme or milestone.
Over the past decade, we have grown programmes, strengthened relationships, adapted through challenge and reached over 400,000 children and young people.
But none of it happened alone.
Every milestone has been built through collaboration between schools, business owners, coaches, educators, families, community organisations and people who believe physical activity can change lives.
As we look ahead, our focus remains the same: working with partners to help more children and young people move more, learn with confidence and feel what they are capable of.
Ten years in, the belief is still the same: children need more chances to move, learn and feel good about themselves.
And we are not done yet.