Reflections on Series 2 of The GM Moving podcast

By GM Moving | 12 January 2023 | TAGS:

In a new, bonus episode of series two of the GM Moving Podcast, two special guests have joined host Eve Holt to discuss what they’ve learned and their highlights from the past 16 episodes.

Hayley Lever, Exec Lead for GM Moving and CEO for GreaterSport and Justine Blomeley, Strategic Lead (Place) at Sport England share their favourite moments from the second series and their hopes and ambitions for the future.

Listen to the full episode here.

Hayley Lever: It has been amazing listening back to the podcasts from all the people and places and thinking about our journey. It's been incredible.

The work that has gone into interviewing all of those people, over a number of months, and creating the space to tell the stories of the work, it's been just brilliant to listen to.

It's just been great to have little moments where I've been walking on the hill with my headphones and listening and just laughing and cringing and wincing and remembering.

Justine Blomeley: I find it fascinating, and I love that opportunity sometimes to step outside of the work. Sometimes when you're in it on a day-to-day basis, it can feel hard and it can feel challenging, and I think the series in terms of the podcast is fantastic.

It gives you that opportunity not only to step outside and look at where we've come from and what we're doing and the impact that's having, but also it gives me a great opportunity to keep going back and listening to the language and the words that people use, which are really key in this work.

HL: The evaluation episode stands out in my mind. That created the conditions for me to think about the journey - from when they first got involved and how they've had to think and do things differently and what they've learned.

The engagement and people and leadership episodes just really made me smile. They articulated really well how far people across Greater Manchester have come in this work, in terms of a real, genuine, deep understanding of what really good engagement is.

The people are just brilliant as well, it was brilliant to hear so many different voices, all the ways that people describe their relationship with movement.

JB: The other thing that came across really strongly were the catalysts for change, the work stands out for me as being really key and stands out across our 12 local delivery pilots in lots of ways; they enable the work to happen.

They are the things that are the glue for us to be able to learn from the work, to be able to talk about the work, to be able to engage differently in the work.

HL: The ‘what next’ is through things like this podcast and other things: how we keep sharing the journey and the learning in ways that support other people and other places who are trying to work more like this.

I wonder, for example, from all the people who've done the podcasts, where, who have they sent it to?

Who's listening, who have people in locality teams gone back and put it in front of? I'd love to challenge ourselves to think about who else needs to hear these stories?

The catalyst episodes, they're widely relevant. They're not just relevant to the physical activity sphere, either they’re widely relevant, the evaluation one is relevant to anyone who's doing evaluation in complex systems.

Whilst this series has come to an end, the conversation and work continues.

Whoever and wherever you are, we'd love to hear how you keep moving and the ways you are supporting others to live an active life. Contact us on Twitter using the hashtag #GMmoving.

Please continue to share this series with people and organisations who will find it useful.