GM Moving Conference 2025: A day of purpose, connection and action

By GM Moving | 14 May 2025 | TAGS: Conference, Active Lives, Greater Manchester, Salford, "event"

On Monday 12 May 2025, over 1,000 leaders, community champions, and changemakers joined us to spark a powerful conversation about enabling active lives for all and building a fairer, healthier Greater Manchester. From inspiring main stage talks to hands-on workshops held both indoors and outdoors, the day was charged with ambition, honesty, and a shared commitment to meaningful action. 

From early arrivals by bike, tram, and on foot to closing reflections full of energy and hope, the day brought people together from across Greater Manchester to focus on one shared goal: Active Lives for All. 

Before the doors to the Lowry opened, we organised group runs and led bike rides to the conference, alongside water sports activities like kayaking, swimming, and paddle boarding. It was a fantastic way for our staff, organisers and attendees to start a day dedicated to celebrating and promoting physical activity!

At 10am, we kicked off the GM Moving Conference 2025 with joy, rhythm and serious talent, thanks to a high-energy opening dance sequence that set the tone for the day. Performers from JetBlack, Everything Human Rights, Didsbury High School, St George’s Hub, and GM Active took to the stage, joined by DanceSyndrome and an unforgettable Afrobeats routine. This dynamic opening had the whole auditorium dancing, and reminded us all that movement is about expression, inclusion and community, and that everyone has a place in this movement.

Once we had stopped dancing and taken our seats, Hayley warmly welcomed the audience, setting the tone for the day ahead by highlighting the importance of active lives for all and the collective commitment needed to build a fairer, healthier future.

In the following hours, we welcomed more than 50 speakers and contributors including Mayor Andy Burnham, Jo Platt MP, Olympian Abigail Irozuru, and Ayisatu Emore, alongside powerful voices like Youth MP Alex Crompton, Tim Hollingsworth OBE from Sport England, and Eve Holt from GMCA. Leaders in equity, health, and systems change such as Sajida Ismail, Shamime Jan, Sharmila Kar, and Dr Sohail Munshi helped set a tone of urgency, honesty, and action. 

Throughout the day, workshop attendees heard from community advocates like Khadija Patel of Krimmz Girls Youth Club, Sally Carr MBE, and youth-led organisations including Everything Human Rights. These voices brought the heart of the conference to life, sharing real stories, honest reflections, and bold calls for change grounded in lived experience and community leadership.

Across 12 co-designed workshops, participants explored themes such as inclusive spaces, youth voice, place-based change, and shifting systems. The sessions were practical and participatory, inviting people to share learning, challenge thinking, and spark new ideas. These workshops were designed around requests from 400 previous conference attendees and proved incredibly popular.

Want to revisit the workshops? See the slides and resources from the day here.

Speakers from health, sport, transport, housing, education, and the VCFSE sector shaped the conversation, bringing insight, challenge, and ambition. Every contribution, whether from a panel discussion or a passing conversation, highlighted the incredible strength and diversity of the GM Moving network. 

Our outdoor sessions added energy to the day with group movement activities and real-world examples demonstrating how active design and connection with nature can boost wellbeing and inclusion. From archery to kayaking, these hands-on experiences reminded us that movement takes many forms and that the places and spaces we create truly matter.

Young people played a vital role throughout the day, bringing energy and fresh perspectives to the GM Moving Conference. UTC students ran the live stream, while BCOMS volunteers helped capture the event as media contributors. Youth-led sessions showcased the power of young voices in shaping active, inclusive communities, demonstrating that the next generation is key to driving sustainable change. 

This year’s conference reflected a growing movement with collaboration at its core. Whether people joined as local leaders, system shapers, residents, or changemakers, the connections made and the energy shared set the tone for what comes next. 

As always, the magic was in the mix — in the conversations over ice cream, the bold reflections, and the commitment in the room to do more, from a diverse audience of changemakers.

We’re proud to be part of this brilliant community. Thank you to everyone who joined us.

This year’s conference was kindly supported by our three sponsors: Miova, Future Fit for Business, and 3 v 3 UK. We sincerely thank them for their generous support in helping to make this Conference possible. 

We have shared workshop slides here. The team are working hard on recordings and snippets from the conference, which will be shared on LinkedIn and Bluesky in the coming weeks. If you can't wait until then, the live stream is available to watch here. 

For now, a huge thank you to everyone who joined and contributed to the GM Moving Conference 2025!