Blog: Celebrating a Year of Progress

As we close another incredible year at Active Kent & Medway, I want to take a moment to reflect on the milestones we’ve achieved together. Guided by our vision of More People, More Active, More Often, and underpinned by the county-wide Move Together strategy for sport and physical activity, we continue to work with local and national partners to tackle inequalities and create opportunities for everyone to enjoy the benefits of physical activity and sport.

A Place-Based Approach That Delivers

One of the standout achievements this year has been our inclusion in Sport England’s targeted place-based investment programme. Thanet and Gravesham were named among the first phase of places to benefit from this initiative, with Medway and Swale recently announced in the second phase of investment. This recognition confirms our commitment to a place-based approach, connecting local networks, sharing learning and fostering collaboration to make activity accessible for all.

Bringing People Together

This year, we proudly hosted two conferences, our flagship #MoveTogether Conference and our Primary PE & Physical Activity Conference, each playing a vital role in enhancing our shared commitment to tackling inequalities and creating positive change. Both conferences create spaces for collaboration, learning and inspiration.

Focusing on our Five Strategic Priorities

Connecting Communities
Through workshops and local events, we’ve supported clubs and voluntary organisations with advice on funding, sport welfare, mental health and sustainability. Everyday Active continues to be a cornerstone of our community work, with our dedicated website, offline resources and a network of local champions, helping residents find low cost, inclusive ways to move more in their daily lives.

Health and Wellbeing
Designed in partnership with Kent County Council Public Health, the Forever Active Kent Fund was recently launched, helping local organisations create inclusive, sustainable physical activity opportunities for older adults and those living with long-term health conditions. Throughout the year we’ve been strengthening partnerships with health professionals and social prescribers; we launched our ‘Everyday Active for Health’ film; and our Live Longer Better Network continues to grow.

Positive Experiences for Children and Young People
We’ve seen the rapid expansion of our Everyday Active Schools programme along with several youth engagement projects, including initiatives that use sport and physical activity to reduce anti-social behaviour, improve mental health, develop workforce and build confidence. The School Games in Kent continues to empower thousands of young people to get active and connect through different sporting activities, laying the foundations for lifelong healthy habits.

Supporting Sport
From Sport Welfare drop-in sessions, active bystander training to small grants and workforce development opportunities, we continue to help local clubs and organisations gain the skills and confidence to provide inclusive, enjoyable experiences for all. Our commitment to Supporting Sport goes beyond grassroots though. Through the FANS Scheme, we continue to provide talented athletes with free, off-peak access to training facilities across Kent and Medway, alongside other member benefits, helping them reach their full potential.

Active Environments
An exciting development has been the new Planning for Health Officer role, a pioneering collaboration between the Active Partnership, Kent County Council’s Public Health and Strategic Planning teams, designed to embed health and wellbeing at the heart of planning and development. We’re proud to have played our part in shaping the county’s Local Football Facility Plans alongside the Local Padel Strategies, supporting inclusive access, sustainability and growth of these sports. In collaboration with local and regional partners, a new Needs Assessment Training Module was recently launched, marking a significant step forward in creating a standardised, consistent approach to data collection for Playing Pitch Strategies across our region.

Looking Ahead

As we move into next year, our commitment to the Move Together strategy for Kent and Medway is stronger than ever. We’ll continue to work with partners, innovate and share learning to create a county where everyone can enjoy the benefits of an active lifestyle.

Thank you to every partner, volunteer and champion who has contributed to our journey so far.

Published: December 2025.