The Active Code

In the first episode of a new series of The Active Code, hosts Paul Griffiths and Luke Johnson are joined by Justin Coleman and Rudro Sen from Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice.

Who is Justin Coleman? 

Justin is Co-Founder and COO of Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice, an organisation which was set up to reduce violence, crime and reoffending. 

Justin is an expert in leading and delivering projects that use sport and physical activity in the Criminal Justice System.

He has won several awards for his work, including Prison Officer of the Year 2009 (Working with Young People) and a Major Butler Trust Award for his programme design and delivery.

Who is Rudro Sen?

Before moving to London, Rudro worked on the Just for Kicks programme in Mumbai, using football to support under-privileged teenagers to develop leadership skills and improve their life chances. 

He continued in the Sport for Development sector at the National Citizen Service (NCS) in London, working with 15-17-year-olds from diverse backgrounds on summer activity programmes.

Rudro is now Project Manager for Alliance of Sport’s Levelling the Playing Field project which aims to use sport to address over-representation in the youth justice system.

What is the podcast about?

• Justin and Rudro speak about their goal of facilitating a network of organisations to create “can do” attitudes.
• They discuss the importance of having positive role models in all communities, especially harder to reach ones, to inspire future generations.
• Justin describes his belief that physical activity is something we should all “just do” and not need to think about.

Episode eleven and the final episode of the current Active Code series sees hosts Paul and Luke joined by Jeremy Snape, Sporting Edge  Founder and Managing Director.

Who’s Jeremy Snape?

As a former International cricketer and coach providing innovative performance ideas for teams and leaders. Jeremy has rapidly become one of the most recognised names in sport psychology drawing upon real life examples from his playing and coaching career.  

As Founder and Managing Director of Sporting Edge, Jeremy helps business leaders transform their mindset, leadership skills and performance.

The three will be covering:

• How Jeremy has been coaching business leaders since hanging up his pads and leaving the ice baths behind
• The inspirational leaders Jeremy has worked with on and off the pitch including Shane Warne and Baroness Sue Campbell
• The way Formula 1 teams are a great example of working together towards one goal of ‘improving lap times’
• How using social connections may be the way to engage more children and young people in physical activity
• Challenges for business leaders

In episode 10 of the Active Code hosts Paul  and  are joined by Harvey Grout, Managing Director at Careers in Sport and PGCE Physical Education Subject Leader University of Reading.

Who’s Harvey Grout?

Harvey began his career as a secondary school PE teacher, having gained a QTS physical education degree at the University of Warwick.

In 2012 Harvey founded Careers in Sport, drawing on his experience from PE teaching and coaching. Careers in Sport offers students, sports enthusiasts and professionals with a passion for sport, career advice and job opportunities from leading professionals in the sport and fitness industry.


Harvey is also the author of 'Improving Teaching and Learning in Physical Education' and '101 Classroom Games'.
 
What’s covered in the episode?

• His life changing time in Australia, completing a masters, teaching, researching at University of Western Australia and travelling
• How physical activity offers enjoyment, stress relief and the opportunity to socialise
• How his father’s leadership traits of being friendly, supportive, and respectful helped him shape his leadership
• The importance of accepting that rarely things go 100% to plan, so it’s vital to reflect on performance and move forward with an open mindset and desire to improve
• How organisations in the sector can harness the power of social media to support young people

In episode 9 of The Active Code  hosts Paul  and Luke are joined by Andrew Bode, director at Kanga Sports.

Who’s Andrew Bode?

Andrew began as a secondary school PE teacher, having gained a PGCE in Physical Education after studying Sport and Exercise Science.

In 2013, Andrew founded Kanga Sports, an award-winning sport and education provider based in North Yorkshire. Knowing the importance of physical activity to children’s health and wellbeing, Kanga Sports aims to create a love of sports that lasts a lifetime.

What’s covered in the episode?

·       How Andrew creates a collaborative approach and team mentality at Kanga Sports

·       Andrew’s belief that PE is about the participation of all, not the excellence of a few

·       How physical activity can and has helped Andrew’s mental and physical health

In episode 8 of The Active Code  hosts Paul Griffiths and Luke Johnson are joined by directors at Dream Big Sports, Dillan O’Connor and Dale Harris.

Who are Dillan and Dale?

Dillan and Dale are directors at Dream Big Sports, a not-for-profit organisation based in the North West.

Dream Big Sports provides sporting and educational opportunities to disadvantaged young people to make their hopes, ambitions and dreams a reality.

Dillan and Dale are also co-founders and directors at Active Education Co. recognising the need for high-quality physical activity provision to inspire the next generation to lead active lives.

Through a wealth of resources, training and content, Active Education Co. develops the knowledge, confidence and skill of those within the education sector to champion health, wellbeing and physical activity. 

What’s discussed in this episode?

·      How a meeting over a cup of coffee led to their successes

·      Why it’s important to reflect on success as well as innovate to move forwards

·      How organisations can break down barriers to physical activity, such as access, travel and equipment

·      What strategy is used at Dream Big Sports to develop stronger team members

·      How other sectors use data more effectively and why “not assessing is guessing” when it comes to understanding physical activity trends

In episode 7 of The Active Code hosts Paul Griffiths and Luke Johnson are joined by founder of Physical Education and Active Kids (PEAK),  Dave Johnson.

Who’s Dave Johnson?

From London all the way up to Newcastle, Dave Johnson has inspired children and young people.

Dave is founder of Physical Education and Active Kids (PEAK). PEAK works with schools to provide high-quality PE delivery, training, support and resources to ensure children have access to outstanding physical activity opportunities.

Before founding PEAK in 2014, Dave had been a primary teacher, assistant head of a secondary school, Olympic Legacy Development Officer and Regional Manager of the Sport England initiative ‘Engage to compete’.

Dave’s roles combine to give him a depth of industry knowledge which he shares in episode 7 of The Active Code.

What’s covered in this episode?

·      Dave’s experience of a leader who allowed autonomy and held shared values

·      How Dave leads his organisation to engage more children and young people each year

• The training and experiences teachers and coaches need in order to inspire in pupils a life-long interest in sport and physical activity

·      How Dave empowers his team to make the right decisions

In episode 6 of The Active Code hosts Paul Griffiths and Luke Johnson are joined by founding director of Raceways Events C.I.C Martine Verweij.

Who’s Martine Verweij?

Martine is on a mission to get kids moving!

With a strong sporting background which includes having competed for Great Britain and the Netherlands as an age-group athlete in cyclo-cross and triathlon, Martine understands the value of physical activity.

 As founding director of Raceways Events C.I.C and founding CEO of Kids Run Free,  Martine inspires others to get active.

The charity Kids Run Free offers two programmes, Kids Run Free in the Park and Marathon Kids designed for primary schools. Creating fun, sustainable running opportunities for 0-16 year olds, Kids Run free aims to ignite a passion for sports and physical activity in children and young people, enabling them to become happier, healthier and more confident.

What’s discussed in the episode?

·      Where Martine’s love of physical activity comes from

·      Martine’s long-distance endurance challenges

·      Lessons to be learnt from the gaming industry to make physical activity accessible for all

·      How to remove barriers that prevent many children and young people participating in physical activity

In episode 5 of The Active Code,  hosts Paul Griffiths and Luke Johnson are joined by co-founder of miMove app, Greg Dryer.

Who’s Greg Dryer?

Greg is a university lecturer, qualified teacher, business owner and former senior tutor at Youth Sports Trust.

Greg is the founder of a ground-breaking activity monitoring app for schools and organisations. miMove app allows teachers, parents and coaches to support young people with making physical activity a regular part of their lives.

By transforming teaching and coaching practices to break down barriers, Greg’s vision is to make all forms of physical activity available to all young people. 

What’s discussed in this episode?

·      The sector’s responsibility to measure physical activity levels

·      The value of data in improving physical activity levels

·      The importance of organisations having unwavering faith in what they do in order to improve

In episode 4 of The Active Code hosts Paul Griffiths and Luke Johnson are joined by Ben Kirk, founder and director of Inspired Schools and Inspired Somerset.

Ben’s early career comprised secondary school teaching and playing semi-professional football.

Ben’s passion for both vocations combined to form his following venture, being founder and director of Inspired Schools and Inspired Somerset. With a vision to create healthier and happier schools across the UK, Inspired Schools and Inspired Somerset aim to reduce childhood obesity by getting children and families active.

What do Ben, Paul and Luke discuss in this episode?

• Ben’s struggle to balance being a teacher and semi-professional footballer
• Ben’s decision to leave teaching and run his own business
• Why Ben champions an active lunchbreak
• The leadership lessons Ben’s learnt from authors including Daniel Priestley and Paul Dix
• The readiness of headteachers to share their PE and sport premium spend and its impact
• Key advice for organisations in the education sector, including the value of collaboration