What does 2024 hold for the Leap team and the lasting impact we can make in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes? We asked the team for just one thing they were looking forward to in 2024.
Mark Ormerod, CEO
2024 will be the first year with the newly expanded Leap Team, following an exciting year of recruitment.
We grow in wisdom and knowledge every year, we remain passionate and inquisitive. We continue to bring together the ingredients to lead system change. I always say that we are happy (and equipped) to lead, and equally happy to support those better placed to lead than us.
The important call to action in 2024 will be even more focus on place-based system change, and with the backing of the Leap team, anything is possible.
Rhiannon Smith, Children and Young People Project Officer
I am looking forward to continuing to work with Linda Plowright-Pepper. Linda works as part of the Centre for Children and Young People’s Wellbeing at The Open University and conducts participatory research around how physical activity can be life enhancing for young people.
We will build on the Youth Voice work that has taken part this year and I will continue to grow my knowledge of the thoughts and feelings of young people to ensure this shapes the Children and Young People provision for Leap.
Abbi McKane, Participation Project Manager
I’m excited for the Active Lifestyle hubs to progress! Providing a pathway from health to physical activity opportunities means that so many more people will be able to access activities that are suitable for them.
Portia Simond, Coaching Champion
I will focus on spotlighting what MK Womens Walking Group do. We will collaborate with charities who help women through domestic violence, raise funding for group therapy and expand our walking groups to men and young people.
At MK Movers, our next steps involve elevating our profile and distinguishing ourselves as a unique and standout group.
Hans Trivedi, Data and Insight Partner
I am excited about some of my workstreams coming together, both the place-based insights work and insights about Leaps stakeholder landscape. I am looking forward to seeing what this data tells us and finding high value insights and being able to influence decision making to make a meaningful impact.
Louise Gillespie, Evaluation and Impact Partner
Going forwards into 2024, I’m excited about using the data collected to derive insights that can be applied to future initiatives.
I will also work towards a standard set of baseline questions to further improve progress tracking, impact evaluation, and enable more evidence-based decision-making. I am hopeful that the Sport England Evaluation and Learning Framework will soon be available to feed into this process.
Shay Fenlon, People Development Manager
I’ll be continuing our work with Michelle Howden and CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity) around local skills plans. Understanding the wants & needs of employers in our sector and ensuring people leaving education are entering the working world with the right knowledge, skills & behaviours to succeed in our sector across Bucks & MK.
Wendy Couzin, Children and Young People Project Officer
The annual PE Conference is always my favourite event in the calendar year and I’m looking forward to using the feedback we received from the 2023 event to make the next one even better.
Caroline Drake, Marketing and Communications Manager (Maternity Cover)
I can’t wait to work with the team to highlight all the brilliant work Leap does to build and support partnerships to get more people active.
Find out more about what we do on our ‘About Us’ page.
