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By GM Moving | 06 February 2025 | TAGS: Racial inequality, Inclusion, commitment to inclusion

This Race Equality Week, we’re building on our commitment to tackling inequalities in movement and physical activity. Led by our CEO, Hayley Lever, we recently hosted a conversation with a panel of changemakers, sparking impactful conversations about race equality and its essential role in creating Active Lives for All.

Watch the full recording below.

 

We spoke to Hayley after the conversation and asked for her reflections. She said:

“This conversation was a powerful reminder of the importance of listening, learning, and taking action on race equality.

It challenged my thinking, sparked new ideas, and reinforced how much more we can do. I’m energised about what’s ahead—especially the conference and the opportunities it brings.

More than anything, I’m hopeful about the ripple effect this conversation could have if we turn it into real change. Every action counts, and this is just the beginning."

The panel featured a rich mix of voices, including:

  • Hayley Lever, CEO of GM Moving, who brought us together for this conversation.
  • Sarah Brown-Fraser, our trustee, equality lead on our board, and Head of Communications and Policy at Activity Alliance, emphasised the importance of an intersectional approach to equity.
  • Ayisatu Oladunni, of Flourish CIC, shared her lived experience and expertise in community-led movement programmes.
  • Umar Ahmed, Active Adults Equalities Lead at GM Moving, highlighted our team’s focused efforts on race equality.
  • Ella Stacey, Marketing and Communications Lead at GM Moving, who brought insights from her academic background in inclusion theory and social psychology.

Key Themes and Insights

  1. Why Race Equality Matters
    Each panelist shared their personal and professional motivations for advancing race equality. Ayisatu reflected on how inclusive physical activity spaces can transform lives, while Ella explored how addressing systemic barriers can create meaningful change across our communities.

  2. Tangible Actions and Progress
    Umar provided updates on our work to tackle inequalities at every level, emphasising initiatives designed to embed race equality into our strategy and operations. Sarah highlighted how our board champions equity, diversity, and inclusion, linking our efforts to wider national agendas for change.

  3. Shifting Public Narratives
    Ella underscored the power of storytelling and communications in challenging stereotypes and amplifying diverse voices. She outlined the role we can all play in using marketing and storytelling as tools for cultural change.

  4. Designing Inclusion
    Ayisatu shared her experience from last year’s GM Moving Conference, where inclusion was intentionally “designed in.” She praised the progress we’ve made but urged us to push further. In particular, Ayisatu suggested that we could put more community voices front and centre, so we can learn from them. Using her knowledge from her MSc research in inclusion, Ella explained how providing good quality physical activity spaces boosts inclusion.

  5. Collaborative Opportunities
    Our discussion highlighted the collective power we have when we work together with system partners like Sport England and Activity Alliance. Sarah encouraged us to explore how we can work as a network to challenge systemic inequities, creating a ripple effect of positive change in our communities.

Our Commitments and Pledges for the Future

We closed the session with reflections on what we’ve learned and the commitments we’re making as individuals and as an organisation. Umar highlighted the #EveryActionCounts campaign, which aims to inspire tangible actions across Race Equality Week. Hayley reinforced our dedication to fostering equity in every aspect of our work, urging everyone to continue these conversations in their own spaces and places.
Greater Manchester Moving will build on this conversation and lead by example. We will continue to collect and act on community feedback, and further build in race equality into our programme design. We commit to sharing these learnings with other partners, so that the actions we take can spark change in other organisations.

Looking Ahead

This conversation is just one step in our journey, and it reinforces our shared mission: Active Lives for All. Tackling inequalities is at the heart of everything we do, and we know that achieving this means addressing structural and societal barriers to movement, physical activity, and sport.

As we move forward, we are committed to learning, taking action, and collaborating to create a Greater Manchester where everyone, regardless of race or background, can enjoy the benefits of an active life. Together, we will build a movement for movement that leaves no one behind.

Further Resources

To learn more about Race Equality Week, visit their site here.
To see Sarah’s work at Activity Alliance, visit their site here.
To read about Umar’s work at GM Moving, visit the Active Adults page here.
To find Hayley’s blog on her latest learnings, visit her page here.
To see what stories Ella has been highlighting, visit the News page here, and follow us on Linkedin here.
To connect with Ayisatu, find her Linkedin page here.


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