GM Moving Conference 2025

GM Moving Conference 2025

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Thank you to everyone who joined us to be a part of creating healthier, happier, and more active lives for all.

Building on the energy and learning from last year's conference, 2025 brought even more insightful stories, practical workshops, and opportunities to connect with those driving positive change.

Together, we explored innovative ways to enable active lives for all—tackling inequalities, empowering communities, and unlocking the potential of movement to transform lives. Whether a policymaker, practitioner, community leader, or passionate advocate, the audience members were a part of a growing movement shaping a more active, inclusive future.

We heard from Andy Burnham, Tim Hollingsworth, Tom Stannard, Jo Platt MP, Ayisatu Emore, and Alex Crompton, and held engaging workshops with experts like Shannon Howarth, Khadija Patel, Sally Carr MBE, and Nicky Hawkins.

Many people enjoyed the free activities we arranged outside of the conference too, from swimming to football, cycling to paddle-boarding - there was something for everyone. 

There were many stalls in the exhibitors area this year, and activities outside, which you can find details of here.

Workshops

We designed several workshops based on what 400 of you told us you wanted to explore.

See workshop slides here

Morning session (11.30am-12.30pm)

Indoor workshops: 

1. Unlocking sport's potential: Tackling inequalities and growing participation. Room: Lyric Theatre.

This workshop will explore how sport can be a powerful tool for tackling inequalities and increasing participation, particularly in under-served communities. We will discuss strategies for moving sport closer to communities, working in a place-based, collaborative way, and sharing real-life stories of success and challenges. It’s ideal for those working in sport and physical activity who are interested in promoting inclusion and diversifying participation.

2. Learning from the evidence: A business case for walkable communities and more active neighbourhoods. Room: Pier 8.

Using examples from three different spatial scales, participants will hear how data and evidence is used to make the case for investment into quality environments that support active lives, and a more prosperous, healthy and city region. We will also work how this can be applied to challenges and opportunities in your area.

3. (Youth-led) Youth Voice leadership and participation: Do we have the same priorities? Room: Lookout.

This workshop will engage young people to share their priorities and experiences in sport and physical activity, focusing on removing barriers and promoting youth leadership. Attendees will learn how to create inclusive environments and foster meaningful youth involvement.

4. Place in Action: Transforming public leisure for lasting health. Room: Compass.

This workshop will share Greater Manchester's journey in reshaping public leisure services to create a broader, more connected health creation model. We will explore the impact of this shift, explore the conditions needed for success, and look ahead at opportunities to advance public leisure and health services. It’s ideal for leisure, public health, and local authority professionals interested in the future of health-driven leisure services.

5. Storytelling: Changing lives by changing the narrative. Room: Hexagon.

Using individual experience and data, participants will explore skills in framing and telling impactful stories about movement, physical activity, and sport. Led by narrative expert Nicky Hawkins, the session will focus on creating clear, memorable stories that demonstrate change and advocate for the work being done. It’s ideal for marketing, communications professionals, and anyone looking to better communicate the impact of their work.

Outdoor workshops: 

1. Try out session: E-cycles, adapted cycles and everything in between

Come and try one of our adapted cycles - tricycles, recumbents, or e-cycles. Understand the needs and potential, and experience the difference.

2. Incorporating walking and wheeling into the working week

A one hour walking tour around Salford Quays at an easy pace, taking in the waterside views and engaging in some outdoor co-coaching. Working in pairs and threes, you’ll consider the benefits of integrating more walking and wheeling into your working week, consider what your options are, what will work best, and plan some actions.

3. Drift Bingo - An Open Space Adventure

Afternoon session (1.30pm-2.30pm) 

Indoor workshops: 

1. Shifting culture and systems to support active lives for all. Room: Lyric Theatre.

This workshop focuses on creating systems and cultures that support active lives for all. It explores community empowerment, overcoming barriers, and promoting leadership to drive change. Attendees will discuss challenges, share insights, and collaborate on solutions to remove obstacles, with a focus on system and culture transformation for better physical activity outcomes.

2. Connecting health and community-led wellbeing for stronger outcomes. Room: Compass.

Focussing on integrating community groups and the health system to improve physical activity in Greater Manchester, this workshop will highlight the Live Well initiative and successful partnerships, while discussing the challenges of creating sustainable collaboration.

3. Creating safe, inclusive spaces in sports and physical activity: Practical steps for progress. Room: Lookout.

This workshop will focus on how safe spaces can be created through listening to and acting on the voices of participants in sports and physical activity. Attendees/You will take part in creative activities to explore the themes of safe, inclusive spaces in sports and physical activity, building tools that they can take away and use in their own practice/settings to engage with participant voice. Attendees/You will leave this workshop feeling more confident to have conversations around safety and inclusion in your settings.

4. Women & girls moving in GM: The art of possible. Room: Hexagon.

This workshop will explore the potential for collective action to improve the experiences of women and girls in physical activity, sport, and movement across Greater Manchester. Discussion will explore how a joined-up approach could drive positive change and better access. The session consider the challenges, share learnings from local initiatives, and reflect on what needs to be done to bring about lasting change. It’s ideal for anyone working with women and girls or those interested in influencing decision-makers and shaping inclusive, accessible opportunities for women in physical activity.

5. Place-based change: Transforming systems for a more active future. Room: Pier 8.

This workshop will explore how place-based working can create healthier, more active communities. We will reflect on the GM journey and the key factors that support systemic change. Through creative visioning exercises, attendees will identify both immediate and long-term actions to transform local environments and support physical activity. It’s ideal for anyone passionate about driving change in community health and wellbeing through collaborative, place-based efforts.

Outdoor workshops:

1. Right to Roam, Left to Wander

Event sponsors

With thanks to our event sponsors.

Future Fit for Business

Future Fit for Business is a leading provider of learning and development solutions, empowering organisations and their people to thrive through tailored, impactful training. With over 30 years’ experience advancing workforce capability across community sport, leisure, and health sectors, we offer everything from bite-sized microlearning and essential compliance training to leadership programmes, and bespoke L&D solutions.

As proud sponsors of the GM Moving Conference, we share a commitment to creating a healthier, more active nation by equipping the workforce with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver long-lasting change.

https://futurefitforbusiness.co.uk/

Miova

Miova supports people, organisations and partnerships lead change in complex systems through a strengths-based approach to coaching and systems leadership. Our team are talented, authentic and personable; connected by our shared values and our desire to enable people to see and do things differently. We’ve supported hundreds of leaders across England and Wales see the system, build trust, collaborate effectively, and drive place-based change. Our work is often in the physical activity and health sectors and includes services like, network facilitation and analysis, systems mapping, individual and group coaching, strategy development, and systems leadership training.

https://miova.co.uk 

3V3 UK

3v3 UK are the largest 3v3 football provider in the world.  They work wth the FA, Premier League, several pro clubs as well as many grassroots clubs across the country. Founded in Manchester in 2020 we work with players from age 5-85 proving that football is for everyone, regardless of age or ability.

Using their unique Airpitches they make the game exciting and fun for all involved. The benefits of playing 3v3 are proven and we are excited that as of 2026 the Fa will introduce this format for all u7s in the country.

Our charitable arm AllPlay works with a wide range of groups using football as a driver to get more people active.

The pitch is portable.
The format is flexible.
The potential is unlimited.

"We look forward to being involved at the GM Moving conference and bringing some 'fastfeetfun to the event." Mike Melvin, Director of 3 V 3 UK. 

3v3UK