Grateful and privileged to lead

By Mike Perls MBE | 26 January 2026 | TAGS: jobs

As I step down after eight years as Chair of Greater Manchester Moving, I would like to share some reflections and thanks- and some words of encouragement for those considering applying to be our new Chair.

The mission and purpose of our charity is one that matters immensely to me- and I have been grateful and privileged to lead our Board to ensure that together we create the most value, influence, and impact to support the people and communities of Greater Manchester.

I inherited this role at an organisation already with strong foundations, clear values and purpose. In a changing political, social and economic landscape, we have ensured that the mission – Active Lives for All – has been central. The importance of movement, physical activity, and sport was never clearer than in the pandemic and as our city-region began its recovery from a turbulent and disruptive time which left many scars. The focus on tackling structural and systemic inequalities took on even greater importance and our team have risen to that challenge.

I am proud of our team- how they have led the organisation as it has grown, evolved and transformed as a valued system partner to Sport England, NHS Greater Manchester and, Greater Manchester Combined Authority- our key investors.

I am grateful for all those people I’ve worked alongside- locally and nationally- and all the roles they play to deliver GM Moving in Action and Uniting the Movement in our place.

I’ve enjoyed and valued this role immensely. In return for the investment of my time and energy, I have learnt and developed in my own leadership, enjoyed fantastic support and relationships with fellow trustees, team members and partners.

There has been incredible progress, and there is more to do. There is a big opportunity for the new Chair to take the organisation into its next phase of evolution and deliver even greater value and impact for Greater Manchester.

This is a period of reflection, celebration, and gratitude for me- and an important transition phase, which I am delighted to lead the organisation through. We will welcome a new Chair in June, and I will be working alongside them in the coming months, with the rest of our trustees, executive and team- to ensure they have the best start in the role possible- so they can lead us into the next phase of our work.

This role is all about maximising and leveraging the value of others around the Board table. I look forward to seeing the organisation thrive in its next chapter.

I am confident that GM Moving will go from strength to strength and continue to play a vital role in the delivery of the shared mission – Active Lives for All. And I will continue to be a huge advocate for and supporter of our work.